Thee, Buried in the Past
by Lily Noir
Summary: When viewing Kaname's memories Yuuki gets stuck in them and can't get back, could she be stuck in the past? What will she do? What about Kaname, would she be able to help him? set in ch64
1. Prelude

an idea like this just hit me when i read chapter 64 ... and i can feel the muses plan on staying ^_^

anyways this is the prelude, kinda short ... it just poped into my head whan i began to write... (it's some of Kaname's thoughts) ...  
the real plot begins with chapter 1

enjoy people ^_^

* * *

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

A solitary figure amongst the ruins and rubble, he is just standing there.

His eyes travel towards the sky, locking on the moon.

The moon, even though surrounded by millions of faint stars, stands alone. Its companions are too far away, as if afraid that its bright light would outshine them, as if fleeing from it, thus making the moons existence lonely and sorrowful.

The bright moon stands alone, for all eternity.

Never will he have respite, never will a companion come.

Always and forever shining in the dark night, forsaken, solitary.

He can relate to it. He, too, is alone. Feared, and ostracized by those who fear him, never understood. And the only person who understood him, the only person who accepted him is now gone.

She had given herself for the humans who feared her. She had given them hope and strength, her own strength. It had cost her dearly. The heart that she gave in order to make them weapons and the blood she spilled to give them strength had in the end taken her life. She had given her life to them like he had planned to give his, and shattered. She had left him alone, as he was before she came.

His whole body turned rigid.

Now he fights with them, with the humans who fear him, against his own kind. But he doesn't feel resentment towards them. Humans are weak and feeble creatures, and yet they are strong and durable. He could never hurt them. He tries to bury his cravings and his need for blood, but he can't. He is a monster, a cursed existence, a hated being. He should not exist.

His kind, who disregard and destroy human lives, who use them as tools and then throw them away, should not exist. Those who do not know how to value these brief and fragile lives should learn how to, or die themselves. Every life is the same, precious.

He uses the very weapons made out of that womans heart and fights with the people who had devoured her blood. All to kills the ones who view humanity as livestock. Just as that woman wished him to.

He will honour her wish, and protect these precious lives. Even if it costs his own life.

He would like for it to cost his own life.

* * *

real short ...

well i couldnt help it, i wrote this just before school ... and posted it 15 min before the start (and it takes me 20-25 min on foot to get there... so jeah, i was late -.- ... like whoa too XD)

i tryed to stay in caracter with these thoughts but it was hard ... i get the feeling (in this story) that he's resentful, but the real kaname wouldnt be, he'd blaim himself and spare the humains ...  
and yet there's a line in the chapter(manga) that gives me resentful-towards-the-humans vibe ... but that's probably just me *sigh*


	2. Chapter 1

here is ch1

the words in bold are what they're saying in the manga chapter... i may change(and UNbold ^^) them whan SGK releases her scans and i see her translations

anyways ... ENJOY

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_**Thee, buried in the past**_

He looks dejected and alone standing there with his back rigid. That womans death must have hurt him deeply.

He is so sad and lonely, and yet she can't do anything to help him. She wants to comfort him. But she can't, this is a memory. It's not real. He wouldn't even see her if she stood right in front of him.

Still, it hurts her to see him suffer.

He puts his head in his hand and looks like he is in agony.

Yuuki can't help herself; she takes a step forward. 'Kaname-oniisama' She steps on a piece of glass and it snaps.

Kaname looks towards her, as if alerted by the sound.

Their eyes locked, well, she thought they did. This is a memory and he can't see her though. He is most likely looking straight through her.

''**who are you?''**

The question hangs in the air between them. He is still looking her way.

She looks behind her, hoping to see the person he's addressing. There is no one there.

'Wait! Don't tell me.' **''M-me? Why? You can see me?''**

''**I can''** he simply replied. This girl is strange.

'He can see me' Yuuki was confused now. He shouldn't be able to see her. This is the past, and the past already happened, it can't be changed. She didn't even exist back then, so there is no way that he could have seen her. It's impossible for him to see her, unless...

She let that thought hanging, something else caught her eye.

'Could that be...?' ''Artemis.'' Her eyes look at the weapon, her weapon in the future. Kaname is holding it now.

''Artemis?'' his eyes follow her line of sight and draw upon the scythe. **''Yes... the name of the goddess of the hunt, chastity and the moon. It certainly is a worthy name for this thing.''**

Right then his eyes show the look of pain and despair all over again.

''**I can hardly feel emotions anymore'' **He says as his eyes gaze at the frightful thing **''These weapons are only thinking of merely slaughtering vampires''**

He, then, bends down to pick up Bloody Rose that is lying at his feet like it's waiting for the opportunity to kill. He brings the two weapons close together while looking at them with the same sad and lonely eyes.

Those eyes, he had once shown her those same eyes.

Her chest started to hurt a bit. She knows this feeling.

''**The weapon is essentially that very person.''**

''**weapons are weapons. They are not objects that will transform into her.'' **He replies while a wistful look crosses his face.

Her chest really hurts now. 'He wouldn't have... I know him ...'

''**Then are you going to substitute her for someone else.''** She asks him, silently begging him with her eyes, with that honest straight-forward gaze of hers.

''**Quit saying such empty things, young vampire miss.''** He answers the strange young girl. **''No one can be a replacement for another person.''** He says while leaning his head against the gun, his eyes distant. **''That is why farewells are always difficult.''**

She felt a huge wave of relief, she wasn't a replacement. He truly loved her for herself, not for any other reason.

But that is in the future, she can't expect him to care for her now. He is too damaged, too full of despair.

''**Kaname-san, the other side has already converged. It seems like it's going to be an even worse situation this time.''** A girl informs him. She came with a group of humans.

'Oh' they are the first hunters. 'He really is amazing to be able to work with the humans who, in a way, cost his dear person her life.'

''Ah, hello. May I ask who might you be?'' the same girl asks while looking straight at her.

'Don't tell me' her eyes widen ' They couldn't possibly see me too, can they?'

'Oh-ooh'

* * *

that's it.

more will come up in a day or 2 . i'm on sentry duty in school so it'll be a whole 6 hours of boredom... and the perfect time to write fiction ^^

hope you enjoyed this chapter XD


	3. Chapter 2

he~~re~~ is the next chapie XD XD *poud of herself*

enjoy peoplz

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_**Thee, buried in the past**_

Yuuki went completely still, barely breathing.

Slowly, very slowly, she turned around and looked behind her. There was no one there, again. 'N-no way' She turned back towards them 'It couldn't be'.

Pointing a finger at herself she asks ''you can see me too?''

And then silence after that statement.

And staring.

And some more silence.

''Uhmm... Yes '' answers the same girl who first addressed her.

'Something went wrong! Something went very wrong!' she started to practically chant in her head. 'I'm sure they're not supposed to see me'

And they aren't. They are not like Shizuka and Rido, oniisama didn't feed from them. They're quite obviously human, not turned vampires.

That line of thought brought once again to the light the fact that; since this is a memory (_she_ specifically is not a part of), they are NOT supposed to see her.

And yet they do.

So it all leads to the conclusion that something went wrong.

'Ungh' she grabbed her head with her hands and started to pull on the roots of her hair. 'What am I going to do?' she asked herself as she started to pace. It's quite obvious that she's not just seeing memories anymore, she's reliving them. It's almost like she has been transported to the past.

'I'm not strong enough to get back! I don't know how to get back! I don't know what to do! What will I do?' she panicked in her head, unconsciously throwing her hands in the air and waving them around while mumbling something unintelligent.

Kinda like a mad person. Anyone who knew her would've laughed till their voice gave out.

These people didn't know her though, not even Kaname, and are looking at her like some sort of wild animal; amusing to look at, too dangerous to approach. Kaname, who still barely felt anything, was looking at her too. With the occasional 'strange' crossing his mind.

Yuuki didn't notice the weird looks she was receiving. She was in her own panic-ridden world, which, s it happens, was now revolving around Kaname.

How will he feel when she didn't wake up? What would he think? Would he fall in the same pit of despair she's seeing him in now? Would he be able to bring her back?

A barrage of questions hit her and she didn't know how to answer them. Or what to do for that matter. What she was certain of was that she needed to come back to Kaname, to come back and support him.

A question snapped her back to reality, though.

''Is everything all right?

She looked up from her, now crouching, position.

The same girl was speaking again, except now she was standing closer and a little bent over her. Her eyes held a little light of curiosity in them.

Yuuki's gaze fell from the girl to Kaname-oniisama. He looked like he had everything under control. He's trying to seem untouchable, like nothing can affect him, like he doesn't care too much. As if nothing can ever shake him up and hurt him.

And towards everyone else he's succeeding. They all think that he is whole, that he is all right, but she knew otherwise when their eyes met. She saw a wilted and tired being in his eyes. He is full of despair, a despair that will last several ages and will never fully leave. For it will give birth to fear, a fear for her wellbeing.

At that moment she realized what she had to do. And she decided to stay for a while. She will let the natural flow of things take over, and bring her back to Kaname-oniisama when the time comes. She doesn't belong in here and will eventually find a way to get back. Right now _this_ Kaname needs her more and she will try to heal his heart, at least a little bit

''Yes, everything's fine.'' She said and then straightened out.

* * *

that's all for now folks ...

and i am proud to say that my muses are still present... wave for the lovely readers my girls(and a boy or 2XD) *the muses wave frantically*

now to clarify a few things ...

1) i tend to make caracters a bit more calm and in control than they are in 'reality'. so to contradict that i added the scene where yuuki is pacing and throwing her hands in the air while mumbling to herself. i think its something yuuki could very well do, and~~ the picture you get in your head is hilarious ^^

2) the narration is heavily concentrated on yuuki and her thoughts. why?  
because the manga concentrates more on her too, so we dont get to see much of kaname's thoughts. and as such it is harder to accurately portray what he's thinking. so i dont try that much  
i do dive a little in his head and opinions though ... just for the satisfaction of writing/reading kaname xp

3)yuuki, being a kuran, is prone to worrying too much ^^

i forgot the other parts XD

**hope you enjoyed the chapter ... have a nice day **(night in my case xp)


	4. Chapter 3

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

''It looks like there's been a change of plans though, and I won't be able to go home for some time.'' Yuuki quietly muses, but loudly enough that everyone can hear her.

''Would you mind if I stayed with you until an opportunity for me to return home comes?'' she asked them while giving a warm smile.

They looked thoughtful, weighing the danger against the benefit. Or just weighing the dangers; she didn't look like someone who could or would fight to the death. Even if she was one of _them_.

''If you so wish.'' Answered Kaname for all of them.

''Thank you Kaname-o...'' she let her voice fade abruptly. She couldn't call him oniisama. He doesn't know her so it would raise questions, questions she can't answer. The lone fact that she knows his name is suspicious on its own and she doesn't need her overactive mouth to make it worse. Her only hope is that it won't bring too much attention on itself.

As it happens, that fact caught Kaname's attention quite well. He didn't know what to make out of this young girl. She shows an air of familiarity when it comes to himself, like she knows him. Also, her gaze is gentle, as if she can see right through him, straight to the furthest and deepest depths of his soul. It makes him want to wholly open himself, even a little, to those bright eyes.

Though, while her knowledge certainly raises questions, she has a powerful scent of sunshine clinging to her. She is not a danger to anyone here, she doesn't appear to be.

''But you cannot bite anyone!'' he warned her, protecting both her and the humans.

''Ah, I don't bite humans or take human blood.'' She answered, giving a gentle smile to reassure them. After all, she had only ever gotten blood from Kaname-oniisama, so she didn't need to bite anyone. She probably won't need to feed any time soon too. The amount of blood she got from oniisama so that she can view these memories will keep her going for quite a while.

Kaname didn't smell a lie in her answer, or any kind of evasion. She really didn't bite humans or feed off of them, but how, then, did she live for all this time. Thirst certainly isn't an easy adversary to overpower, in fact it's almost impossible to beat it. He had tried, and failed. So then, who did she feed from in the start, if not from humans?

She seems like a girl full of mysteries.

''You will have to wait for awhile. We are in the middle of a conflict so there is nowhere to go except the battlefront. It is dangerous, I advise you not to come. But you may do as you wish.'' Kaname informed her as he turned and started to walk in the direction the hunters came.

''I'll stay on the fringes, away from the fight. If you need my help I will come and help you any way I can.''

She wanted to fight with him and protect him. But if, by any chance, she really is stuck in the past fighting with them can alter time and change the course of the future, thus changing the present. It's not like she doesn't want to change the future/present for the better and give both species a happy coexistence, she just doesn't want to alter the lives that will come or prevent people from ever being born. She is not god; the power to decide those things is not hers.

''That is your decision to make.'' Kaname stopped and turned slightly towards Yuuki ''What is your name?''

That question caught her off guard.

She can't tell him her name, can she? Would it change anything in the future? Will she make his life difficult if she gives him her name? Will she confuse him? Is it fair towards him? Knowing the future will only make him think how to get there, and fussing too much about it is not good for sanity, especially when you have forever to fuss. She might change some of his decisions in the future. She could change his expectations of her, and thus give him more worries and pain if she doesn't live up to them in her ignorant human days.

But then, would telling him be so bad? Would trying to heal him and showing him that she's there, that she'll live and will always come back to him be so damaging? Would giving him the peace of mind knowing that she'll find a way to return (if/when she finds a way to return) cause him pain?

He will suffer for ages if she doesnt help him now, and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let that happen. She decided to show him that she can be his light and that she will live for him so she must pick up the pieces of him and put him back together. Yes, she could cause him some pain when she leaves the past. But she will return to his loving and gentle embrace many ages later, when she can freely love him.

No, she smiles. Telling him her name wouldn't cause him harm.

''Yuuki. My name is Yuuki.''


	5. Chapter 4

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

Her help was not needed after all.

Well, of course it wasn't needed; she wasn't here in the original timeline so she couldn't help then. It's only natural that she isn't needed now.

There were quite a lot of casualties though, so she decided to help with the injured.

It wasn't an easy task. First the humans didn't trust her enough to let her near the injured, and especially the bleeding. Convincing them that she posed no threat wasn't a piece of cake. It was like trying to show Zero that blood does good. He absolutely refused to accept that he needed it and declined every possible offer to take it, at first. But soon the sheer need for it became impossible to fight and he took it, if unwillingly.

It was the same with the first of the bull-headed hunters. The little of them that were caring for the injured turned their weapons on her and kept her at a distance.

''Don't dare come any closer!'' they shouted while looking at her with furious and heated stares.

Didn't they know that they posed little threat to her if she really wanted to fight? Well, it's not like she would fight them in any way. A pair of additional hands helping would do better and her blood really does wonders. If it's the thirst they're afraid of, surely the know that blood doesn't affect pureblood like it does the level-e's, she wouldn't even blink at the tempting smell.

Eventually they did allow her to help them. Though, it was only after she gave that dying man a little of her blood so he can survive.

After that they had called her to give a little of her blood to anyone who looks on the brink of death, and she did. She didn't decline them, if she could be even a little bit useful, then she wouldn't spare even a drop of the blood that could save another. It's not like she would die either way.

''Hey, Yuuki-san can you come here? This man has a deep wound and is in a lot of pain.'' A young boy, about her age, called.

''Yes, just a second.'' She replied as she finished bandaging an unconscious man.

''Uh, that is a deep gash in his arm.'' She commented '' but it's not life-threatening. I need to take away his pain though, this hurts a lot.'' And she was speaking from experience.

She picked up the man's hand and brought the part with the gash to her lips.

''What are you doing?'' asked the boy next to her. He was looking outraged.

''Our saliva takes away the pain and numbs the injury.'' She responded as her tongue gently brushed the exposed inside of the arm.

The man flinched at first, but soon stopped, as his pain had started receiving.

Yuuki, on the other hand, was slightly surprised at the taste of human blood. It was quite different than Kaname-oniisama's. She couldn't place the difference, there wasn't enough blood and she was distracted. And it's not like she'll feed from humans anyway, so pinpointing it is useless. She had better things to do.

She gently laid the man's hand down and moved to another injury.

'Yuuki is a lot like that woman' Kaname thought as he caught a glimpse of her giving her blood to the injured. 'Just like that woman' he concluded as he slashed through another turned vampire.

She is kind, and looks like the type to carry your burden with you. Her eyes seem like they can see all the secrets of this world, and yet they are so pure and gentle that you have the feeling of standing in front of an angel. Her gentle gaze is accepting of everything, she would not cast away anyone. Maybe not even him.

He cannot stand next to her though; she is too bright for a monster like him. And he must not hope. Someone with blood-stained, tainted hands has no right to compare himself to her. He has caused the death of one person precious to him, it is too dangerous to attach his heart to anyone, no matter how small the attachment.

And yet he can't stop the small yearning that is beginning to grow inside him. He doesn't know why it is there, but it certainly is pulling him towards that girl. Her eyes call to him, and he can barely look away.

He must look away from her. He cannot go through another separation, and she would surely leave him. He must turn her away before those eyes look at him again, before the warmth she has takes even a little bit of his heart.

He can't afford to hope, happiness was never meant to come to him.

Yuuki brushed the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve as she straightened out. She stretched her whole body from toes to fingertips and looked in the direction of the battle. She caught the site of Kaname fighting with Artemis and the Bloody Rose.

The knowledge that he will come out of this fight all right calms her a little, she still can't help but worry for him.

They have gained the upper hand but it looks like there is a long way to go.

As she looks at his back she feels a wave of sadness hit her. Even if he is surrounded by all these people who fight with him his back carries a different burden. To her it looks like he is fighting alone, like he is only his own ally. He has no one else, he doesn't want anyone else. He is too afraid and hurt to love, too afraid and hurt to want to love.

It breaks her heart to see him like this. It doesn't matter anymore if she changes the future a bit or not, she will care for him and fix his shattered heart.

She turned around ''The battle seems to have turned in our favour, let's get the injured to safety. Two of you will stay behind and care for the ones who get injuries after. Come back with Kaname and let him handle the rest.''

The hunters did take a minute to react but still listened to her and started moving.

It appears that they had started to trust her.

* * *

when i re-read this yuuki didnt appear to be like yuuki ... so sorry if anyone else thinks so (i'll try to stay in caracter as much as possible next time)

**IMPORTANT! :**

although school started last week (6th9) i already have a test tomorrow ... SO the chapters wil be a little sporadic from now on with me jugglin school ,homewoork and studying with the everpresent need to sleep^^  
The update rate will be 2-3 days insted of the everyday pace i had till now D: ... be patient please (the muses are still present ;p)

Hope you enjoyed the chapter ... *kiss*


	6. Chapter 5

here...

enjoy ... XD XD XD

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_**Thee, buried in the past**_

On the road back to the hunters dwellings Yuuki noticed that she remembered the way. She has never been there though, so she spent at least 10 minutes cracking her head and trying to think of a reason why she knows the way. And why everything here seems so familiar and nostalgic.

And when she finally found the reason why, she wanted to go and stick her head in the ground. Seriously, how could she forget about the knowledge and memories you gain when drinking another's blood, especially when she, herself, is a VAMPIRE. It honestly astounds her how dense she can be at times.

But, she can marvel at her own clueless-ness some other time, right now she's being shown around the (very familiar) place and instructed on how and where to find rooms(she already knows how to get to).

The injured are being tended to, but she feels a bit unwelcome being by them now that they are not in life-danger. The hunters are still uncomfortable and wary around her so they are trying to distance her from the most vulnerable of them.

She doesn't blame them. Trust is a hard thing to earn in times like these and they have only known her for a couple of hours. She can't expect them to welcome her with open arms (not now, probably not ever).

It's better for her this way too. She won't get too attached to people here and has time alone for herself. Time that would be better spent thinking (not that she was ever good at that) and planning (nor that).

Sigh.

She stopped right by a window overlooking the scenery outside. Deciding that it's the perfect spot to rest a little and calm down, she opened the window and sat up on the window-still. There was a lot of excitement out there and she didn't have time to think about anything.

The air is really clean and fresh here, the breeze blows past gently caressing her and lifting the ends of her hair. It calms her a little and takes the tension away from her muscles. The landscape around is beautiful, she wouldn't mind gazing at it for a long, long time.

Now that she's had time to cool down the fact that she is stuck is really starting to worry her. It's true that the Kaname here needs her, she isn't denying that, but the thing is thet _her _Kaname needs her too, probably even more.

She has to find a way to get back. If she does then she could breathe more easily and not feel as restless.

Truth be told she feels a pang in her chest at the thought of not being able to go back, the future is her home and where her life is, that is where she wants to be.

And never mind the fact that this Kaname and her Kaname are the same person, she is just not used to not being loved and cared for by him. He has loved, protected and been by her side all her life, it feels suddenly so cold and lonely without him by her side and holding her hand. Even though he is right there, in front of her.

Well, this time maybe it's her turn to hold his hand and be by his side.

'Kaname'

It's just starting to get bright over at the east horizont, sunrise will be in about an hour. She hopes that Kaname and the hunters have won the fight and don't have much casualties. When the sun rises the vampires, or at least some of them, will be at a disadvantage and probanly retreat. That means that Kaname and the others will be here soon.

The pain in her chest changes and threatens to robb her of her breath. She takes air in her lungs in short little pants. The knowledge that he is in pain and is so sad hurts her, it makes her sad too.

She feels a tiny bit resentfull towards the person he is hurting for, towards the woman who left him so shattered. Though, she feels respect for her too. She gave up her life for the humans and gave them streanght to fight of her own kind (the ones she wanted so desperately to be with), to protect themselves. She acted on her feeling, the ones she felt righteus, and fulfilled her goal. She was of use, and left behind her a legacy.

But Yuuki could never leave Kaname like that; she has seen too much of what would happen to him to ever do that, to ever let that happen again. That ancestor may have died for him and her dream (she gave him the task to fulfil it), but Yuuki is different. She won't do anything as rash as that, she has learned from the example in front of her.

No. She will live for Kaname and fulfil the dreams of all of them together with him. To die for your cause is hard, but to live for it even harder. Leaving your loved one/s behind is hard, and for them living on without you is probably the hardest and cruellest experience in the world, even more so for purebloods who live on forever and have to carry the sadness and hurt all the while. Like Kaname does.

She felt the tiniest pang of hunger surface at all these thoughts of him, it seems that all the blood she got might not last as long as she thought it would, after all. Could the amount of blood she gave to the hunters have anything to do with this?

She's even hallucinating his presence and scent now, could she be any more obsessed? (T/N I don't think Kanakun would mind much XP)

''Did you choose a room you'll be sleeping in?''

* * *

i started this chapter meaning to write the first real yume interaction (started the last chapter thinking that too XP), but it turned out like this ... *sigh*

well i can almost guarantee that there will be the first real interaction in the next chapter, i'll force myself to write it (though i dont know when it'll come out. still havent even started to write it)

i ask you all to be patient, please, and the chapter will come out within this week

if you have any comment or request dont hesetate to review :) ... hope you enjoyed the chapter


	7. Chapter 6

i'm baaaaack~~~~ and am bringing a new chapter with me~~~~~~~~~~~~

enjoy ^^_**

* * *

**_

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

After the eastern sky started to show the signs of the upcoming dawn, the vampires were disappearing one by one. Whether it was by his/the hunters hands or if they just fled because of the sun, he didn't know. And he didn't feel inclined to find out. Something else was weighing on his mind.

Someone else was on his mind.

Yuuki, that's what she said her name was. He felt as if he should remember that name, like it would be important for him in the future.

But he doesn't want a future; he wants to feel the eternal bliss that oblivion gave. He doesn't want this life of pain and suffering, a life everyone will discard and abandon. He doesn't want this life of a monster that he inevitably lives.

And yet he feels an undeniable force that holds him here, that refuses to let him leave this existence. The pain of the loss didn't let him feel it at first; pain is all that he felt, pain and despair. Now, the pain isn't any easier or more bearable, it's still most of what he feels. But what little of his senses that can (although barely) concentrate on the outside world can sense that there still is something that keeps him here.

That something that begs him to stay and go on has gotten a lot stronger with the appearance of that girl. That force is tied to Yuuki, he sees that clearly. But he doesn't know why.

Still, she is so relaxed and familiar with him, so accepting and knowing of him that It almost scares him. Her gaze warms him inside, it touches his heart. He can feel that if she decides to get closer he wouldn't be able to stop himself from forming an attachment to her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from yearning her. He knows that would happen, something about her tells him that.

He must turn her away from him, and yet he wants to know more about her. Those two things are contradictory. Although he knows that the first is better for her, he is still unsure of which one to choose.

She is staying in the same place that he is, it would only be a matter of time before they meet again.

The sun is almost up, the windows are letting in the bright light of dawn. Soon it will be too painful to watch the eastern sky.

He tears his gaze from the windows and continues his walk down the hallway, wondering if she found a room to sleep in.

After rounding a corner he stops in his tracks. There, sitting on a window and gazing outside, was Yuuki. She seems to have something on her mind; she didn't even notice his approach. _He _hadn't felt her presence either; maybe he was also too absorbed in his own thoughts.

She is beautiful. The light shines on her skin like it's caressing her, like she belongs to it, as if it will always be there for her and protect her. That is impossible though.

Her gaze is the same as she looks outside, unwavering and honest. Unlike the most of their kind that have the unnatural beauty which is obviously so inhuman that it almost screams danger, she has a glow that shines from within her. Her aura doesn't match most of those that are affiliated with the night, it is almost human in its warmth and unthreatening nature.

She is too bright for the night, and yet she belongs to _it_. Just like he belongs to it. Still, the difference between the both of them is the same as the difference between the moon and the sun, the night and day.

That doesn't stop him from feeling a need to talk to her, to go near her.

Strange, he knows her for only a few hours, he interacted with her for only a few short moments in the eternity that he knows, and despite that almost insignificant amount of time he feels a connection with her that seems like it was always there. He doesn't know what to do with it.

Maybe all the pain has finally started to take its toll on his mind.

''Did you choose a room you will be sleeping in?'' he asks her, deciding to take a few steps and come a bit closer to her.

She almost starts a bit after hearing his voice. So it seems that she wasn't hallucinating his scent and presence after all.

She let a small smile light up her face. No matter when or where, his voice still sends shivers down her spine, and yet calms her at the same time.

He is still the same Kaname she knows, still the anchor that holds her world in place. The only difference is that he doesn't know her. Not for now at least.

She turns her head towards him and smiles. He is as beautiful and strong as ever, that fact about him doesn't change at all in the future. His eyes are looking at her with curiosity and caution instead of the love and affection she is used to.

That doesn't matter now, she has decided. Oniisama wouldn't mind if she stays here for a little while, she would be with him either way. It's not like they don't have time, she will return to him. That is what she is certain of.

''Not quite yet, Kaname.'' She answers him.

Her voice holds so much affection that he is lost. Her eyes hold so much love and devotion as they gaze unwaveringly at him. He doesn't know what to do, he can feel that he is losing himself to them.

Turning her away will be impossible now. Not because he can't turn her away, he hasn't lost himself that much, he would be still able to do it. He knows that succumbing to her will be inevitable though, those eyes fill his soul. They tell him that she will not be turned away no matter what he tries; he lost that battle before it even started.

He can see it clearly now, it's only a matter of time before he forms an attachment to her. Maybe an even stronger one than he had before.

How does she know him so much? Why did she come now?

''How did you know my name?'' he asks her while still looking at those eyes ''I... don't remember giving it to you.''

Her smile turns a tiny bit wistful at his words, the gentleness wasn't gone from it though. On the contrary, he thought that it seemed a bit gentler now. Her eyes never left his.

He got the feeling that she knew that this will come, that she had anticipated it. Still, it seems like she can't tell him.

He moved closer so that he was standing in front of her.

''I don't remember you.'' And he knew that he would if he had ever seen her ''Do you know me?''

Her eyes unfocused a bit, for only a second. Then she looked at him with something new in her eyes, determination. She turned so that her body was facing him.

''I cannot tell you that, not for now.'' She answered him '' But I do know you.''

And with that sentence she reached up and gently stroked his cheek with her fingers.

He was surprised at her action. She touched him with ease, with practiced familiarity. Her fingers were not shy or stiff; she wasn't uncomfortable with touching him in such an intimate way. Her touch was calm and gentle, it carried so much affection and caring in it that he almost lost all his air.

The action lasted only for a few brief moments, then she slowly took back her hand and gave him the most gentle and reassuring smile he had ever seen. Her face seemed to shine at that moment, he was mesmerised.

He could still feel her touch on his cheek. That side of his face that she touched felt more alive than the rest of him. He wasn't sure why she affected him like this, she was not supposed to, not in such a short time. For some reason he wanted her to touch him again, he wanted to keep her touch longer on his skin.

They kept staring at each other after, neither looking away. He searched her eyes for the reason of her action. All he saw was what he glimpsed from before. Love and devotion clearly showed in her eyes, her expressive gaze spoke of no hidden plan.

He was the one to look away. He was lost, and didn't know what to do. Both that woman and this girl were quite similar, and yet so very different.

He must separate from Yuuki and think; she is influencing his mind too much now. Her eyes are influencing his heart, and he doesn't want that, not so soon after...

''The sun is almost up. Come with me, I will show you to your room.'' He said as he turned around and started walking down the corridor, quickly giving himself some space.

He didn't turn around to check if she was following him. He could feel her a little distance behind, probably giving him the space he wished for.

How does she know him that much?

* * *

well, well, well ... now this chapter is looong (for me)

i had such a burst of inspiration that this chapter almost wrote itself on its own ... i'm proud XD

do you think that this story is a bit fast-paced or if i dont finish thoughts completely in sentences ?  
i'd really like to know if i'm doing something wrong (i have a feeling that i do) but i just cant put a finger on what ... (dont hesitate to tell me if you know)

well anyways ... this is mostly KANAME'S P.O.V. ... i didnt think i had it in me xp ^.^

hope you enjoyed the chapter ... have a nice weekend ^_^


	8. Chapter 7

this one was quite quick ^^

enjoy~~~~~

* * *

Thee, buried in the past

It is midday outside. The sun is frying everything under it, and creating such a wave of heat that it could even be felt deep under the earth. Even the humans stayed inside for the worst of it.

A quiet sigh could be heard in the empty hallway of the hunters building, it was coming from one or the rooms.

Yuuki sighed for the umpteenth time that day. It appeared to her that she could have been sighing ever since Kaname had shown her to this room.

A furious blush crept up her cheeks at the thought of Kaname. She still didn't get what had gotten into her to be so bold towards him. He was usually the one to do things like that.

Sure, she got a bit startled when he asked her how she knew him. In fact, she had a massive scale internal panic attack, but she didn't look away from his eyes. She couldn't bear to. The moment of panic didn't last that long though. She had tried her best not to show it on the outside; furrowing her brows she hoped that she succeeded.

She sighs again. She's turning into such a worry-wart, must have gotten it from Kaname. Or it could be a family trait running in the Kuran bloodline; she wouldn't be surprised if it was.

But still, it's not like she could have told him that she was from the future and that she knew him from there. Oh and maybe add that she is his lover too (again, she blushes furiously). It probably wouldn't feel nice to be looked at like you're an insane person by the one you love and care about deeply. She could just picture his raised eyebrow.

Then again, he would, most likely, accept that fact very fast and go with it. It there lies the real problem.

How would she explain everything to him? The way he is now he probably wouldn't even accept the things she says, he would think them impossible. Or what if he did? Would she round his life up to just waiting for the future to come? That she could not do. No life is worth living if it revolves around only waiting. Many purebloods have proven that fact. He might not decide to do the things that shaped history.

She sighed, _again_, and rolled over on her side. Kaname is a very complicated person; she only started to comprehend the scale recently. She shakes her head and closes her eyes, feeling his presence nearby.

She did manage to get out of that question pretty good, though. He seemed to accept her answer and let her be. That is so like him. Who knows, she might even tell him everything later on, if the right time comes.

Her mind automatically went over what happened next. Her blush returned, with a vengeance. She put her head in her hands and curled up into a ball.

It looks like that side of her only comes out at times like those. Only at times that he looks so unbearably sad and lost. His eyes were so confused and full of agony that she had no other choice but to reach out to comfort him, that act was automatic.

She could still feel the touch of his skin on her fingertips, the softness as her fingers trailed over it. She pulls her hand down and looks at it.

His eyes were so shocked after she did that, they were in turmoil. She did feel him leaning into her touch slightly, almost unnoticeably. He himself probably didn't even realize he was doing it; maybe that action was automatic to him. He always leaned into her touch whenever and wherever they were.

'He was locked in an eternal battle' she thought as she squeezed her hand shut.

His eyes clearly showed the two sides of him fighting against each other.

There she had seen the side of him that is afraid to attach itself to anyone ever again, a side of him afraid of the pain and suffering he is now forced to endure. He is afraid of the loneliness and hurt that he would feel if he was to be left alone, like he was, like he is now again. He is afraid of a loss of another person dear to him, so he doesn't want to attach himself to anyone. That is the side of him that blames himself for everything and views himself as a monster, as someone not worthy of living alongside the beings in this world. He thinks that he does not deserve to be granted love and affection from anyone.

That side of him is what rips her heart apart.

But there is another side, so small that it probably isn't even there most of the time. That side of him that sparked back into life with her action. She could see a faint shimmer of hope in it, hope and longing. She saw a longing so intense that her heart reached for him, all she wanted in that moment was to hold him in her arms and never let go.

He was longing for someone to love, for someone who will love him back. Even in all that despair his heart still holds a faint trace of hope that someone will come who would care for him, someone who would want to be bound to him despite the fact that he is a monster. He wants someone to hold onto and never let go. Still, he desperately hopes that such a time will come.

That hope gives birth to a yearning in his heart, a yearning she wants to fulfil.

She could see how confused her touch had made him; he didn't know what to do. She could see that he had gotten even more lost. But that is necessary. To show him that that she is there for him, that she will forever be there for him, she first needs to tear down the walls he has built around his heart.

He will most likely try to put distance between them, and she won't let that happen.

Though, she did see that he needs some space. He wanted to collect his thoughts.

So, she gave it to him, she fell back a short distance and silently watched him. His back was so tense, like it carried the world, it probably did. That back has so many burdens on it, she hopes that he would share some of them with her.

But for now all she can do is give him time, they both have plenty of it.

She did, however, lightly squeeze his arm as she passed him by when he showed her to this room. He looked at her with those turmoil filled eyes again, but only for a second, then he silently left.

She turned around on her other side and looked straight at the wall. She could feel him there, a few rooms beyond. He is just down the hall, his room not too close, and yet, not far away.

She smiled 'A good start, maybe' and slowly drifted off into sleep.

* * *

okay~~~~~~~~~~~~~ hope you enjoyed this chapp

this was written yeaterday when my mom baned me from the computer/laptop/internet ... so i wrote this chapter out of pure boredom (and _yes _i did write it on paper, with a pen)

if you have any questions you know where to find me ^_^


	9. Chapter 8

sooooo sooorryyyy for the late update

to make it up here's a extra long chapter ^^ - enjoy

* * *

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

Crash…..

Yuuki opened her eyes, and met the painful glare of the fading sunlight. The last rays of the setting sun are coming in through a gap in the heavy curtains; it will completely sink under the horizon within minutes. Though, the light is still too strong for a pair of waking eyes, she recoiled as soon as her brain registered what was going on.

Groaning rather loudly she rolled on her other side, turning her back at the offending window. Her eyes were tightly shut in an attempt to soothe the poor things. She must have twisted and turned a lot in her sleep, this wasn't the position she remembered falling asleep in. Hmm…, it was probably the fault of a vivid dream, she most likely dreamt of oniisama.

She didn't feel his presence in that room anymore. But he was somewhere in the vicinity, likely in a far corner of the building. He could be trying to put as much distance between them as possible, without risking anyone's wellbeing. It's so like him to think of others before himself.

That means that he needs someone to think of him. She would happily fill that role. It's too bad that he doesn't want her to, though. She smiled to herself; that just means that he won't get any say in it, no one can stop her from loving him. She _will_ take care of him.

Slowly she opened her eyes. The sun had set and the light wasn't so painfully bright anymore. She watched the beautiful crimson colour the fading light painted on her wall, it reminded her of her guardian duty in the academy and how the light painted the sky as the night class came out.

She shook her head clear of those thoughts, that is in the past, err, future, and there's no use for them now. These humans are a whole different world from the day class; she needs to be careful around them. If only there was a guardian for her now.

Time to get up and make herself useful. She sat up at the edge of her bed and yawned, this is going to be a long night.

Thump, crash.

What was that? Now that the last grips of sleep have been cleared from her mind she remembered that a crash had woken her up too. What was going on?

She stood up and went for the door, yawning again as she left her room. She headed in the general direction where she could feel a cluster of humans and hear their chatter. Looks like they're fighting.

* * *

''There is another one of those creatures here with us now, is that really all right? Do you really feel safe while they are amongst us? 'Couse I gotta tell you, I don't.'' said a man to the woman facing him. They were having a private conversation, never the less all the people in the room were listening to them. ''One monster was enough, one I could handle. He did teach us how to make the weapons and how to use them, so I could stand him anywhere near us. But there is another one here now! Another one of them, and this one we do not know anything about. Who knows what she might do to us? We shouldn't trust her.''

''But she doesn't seem all that dangerous, certainly doesn't look like the one to fight, or do any harm.'' Answered the girl ''And, besides, she did give us her blood to help heal and save the injured. She gave you her blood too, if you didn't notice it by now.''

''I don't care about that!'' yelled the man as he punched an old closet.

It tipped precariously to the side as a result of the force inflicted on it.

Crash…

The whole room was left silent for a second, everyone left staring at the toppled piece of furniture. It still is surprising to see the amount of strength they gained. The blood of monsters is a powerful thing, no wonder they crave it.

''She could have given us her blood to lower our defences and accept her, only so that she could feed from us and gain the accumulated power we have because of these weapons. We've seen how much they weaken the bloodsuckers, even the most powerful ones among them, the immortal ones, can be killed with them. That is the kind of power I doubt they could, or would, pass on.'' The man said in an exasperated tone of voice. He chose to sit on a chair close by so that he could calm down.

''AH, come on! You don't really believe in that, do you? I know that they are treacherous and cunning, but there are some things you just can't fake. And that honest tone of hers clearly doesn't speak of any hidden agenda. Not to mention that she looks more like she is kissed by the sun rather than embraced by the night. She feels more human than most of the people here do.''

''She feels like a human huh. Yeah, my ass she does, she's probably the worst kind. Did you forget what those creatures did to us, to humans. There's not a person in here who didn't lose someone to them. And you can come here and say that we should trust her. We should kill her, that's what we have to do. We must not take any unnecessary risk.'' He practically roared as he lost his cool, standing up he almost knocked the chair backwards.

''I know that, I'm not happy taking risks ether. But if Kaname-san said that she could come, then we should trust his judgement'' she said back to him while crossing her arms.

A few of the people in the room bristled at her comment, and exchanged slightly worried glances with each other.

''He is one of them too. How can you trust his word when he is the same as her? He could be on her side; they are the same after all. We all know that he chose to stay with us because we were the ones that woman gave her life to, and it's pretty obvious that he cared for her. The face he made as she shattered to pieces was plain proof. Also it's plainly visible that this girl knows him, she might even love him, god knows why. Her eyes as she looks at him practically scream that fact.'' He darkly replied to her.

A few people agreed to that.

''That's possible also, but it's visible too that Kaname-san doesn't know her. In fact, I think he went out of his way to avoid her now.'' she replied him in return.

''Maybe she is even more powerful than him and he is hiding from her. We should get her out of the way!'' he almost shouted at her.

''Listen to yourself; one second you state one thing and the next you completely contradict it. You said it yourself, she looked at him with love, and her eyes hid nothing. Those same eyes looked _us_ right in the eyes as she said that she doesn't attack humans, I don't think that she lied.''

The man had had enough by then. He violently pushed himself off the chair he was, once again, sitting on and threw the table that was in front of him out of the way. The chair flew backwards and landed with a loud thump, while the table fell over and the things on it piled on the floor with a crash.

''Who do your loyalties lie with? Us, humans or those monsters. You have to choose!'' he told her as he came to a stop right in front of her. The people around them grew restless, they wanted to know too.

She didn't move back, she didn't even flinch. Her answer was calm. ''Of course I choose humans, but she could help us. She seems willing enough, and we need all the help we can get.''

''We don't need help from those things. As I said, one is enough, maybe even too much. Besides, why would she be willing to help us destroy her kind, in any way?''

''Because they are wrong.''

Everyone in the room turned in the direction the new voice came from. The (what looks like a) young girl was standing in the doorway with a hand lightly resting on the doorframe.

Most of the people in the room tensed as they waited for her reaction to what she heard. Some of the hands inched closer to their weapons. They know that her senses are by far superior to theirs, she would have herd most of the exchange by ease.

But she didn't show any signs of anger. Her aura didn't change from the calm and accepting one they have felt around her before. Actually, some of them thought that they could feel a bit of sadness coming from her. They thought that they felt it wrong though, as the feeling faded quickly.

She was calm and relaxed, gazing at them with eyes that looked like they had nothing to hide.

''Wrong?'' the man raised an eyebrow and probed her for an elaboration.

''Yes.'' She said as she walked in the room and stopped by the overturned table ''they think of humans only as livestock, food, something that is disposable.''

Some tensed again, but Yuuki didn't notice it, she remained oblivious. Easily pulling the table back in its rightful position she bent down and started picking up the fallen things.

''They think of humans as such inferior beings that they don't even deserve a second thought. But they are wrong. Vampires wouldn't even exist if there weren't humans. We should cherish every precious little life. All of us draw a beginning with our human forefathers. The very first of us were born from human parents. To survive most of us need human blood. Our lives are connected, we are connected.''

She finished with the table, straightened up again and gave them a small smile.

''How can we be connected? You are beasts, cruel and ferocious. There is not enough room for both species.'' Someone in the back shouted.

She tilted her head to the side a little and brought her hand to her lips, thinking ''Well, it's true that coexistence isn't possible in these times. But we are connected. Didn't a vampire teach you how to make weapons and wield them?'' she asked them with her brows furrowed a little.

They were taken aback a bit. Even the man who quarrelled looked a bit in thought. She had a teensy-weensy little point there. The hunter girl looked pleasantly surprised.

''Why don't we talk about this matter later?'' Yuuki suggested with an embarrassed look ''How are the injured? Have their wounds healed?''

There was a pause and the girl answered ''They are fine. With your blood healing them all they needed was a bit of rest. Some of them are on their feet already, the rest will be soon.''

''That's good to hear, I'm glad.''

And then Yuuki recognized the man with the fiery temper. He was the one with the gash in his arm, the arm she licked. They don't seem to have told him that fact, she could imagine what would be up if they did.

''It's nice to know that I was useful.'' She added and started to turn around. A question stopped her almost before she even made a move.

''Um, would you be willing to help us from now on? Not with the fighting, but with the injured... Ah, I don't mean that you should give us your blood, but it would be nice if someone strong was protecting the helpless and giving them care.'' Asked the girl and amended quickly as she realised the implication of her words.

Some of the people there started to murmur, mostly the ones that were fighting, and not caring for the injured ones.

''If it's alright with you, I would be fine with that.'' Yuuki said and smiled widely.

''And how do we know that you're not just using us?'' asked the man again ''How do we know that you're not going to turn on us and attack the injured?''

''I'm not. I could never do that, and that's not how I was raised.''

''Really? And why should I trust you? It's not like you're one of us. You are a beast with no feelings and emotions. I should just kill you and all others of your kind.'' The man responded.

''If you will trust me or not is your choice, I don't have any say in it. I do very much have emotions and feelings though, just like all of you. Trust me; sometimes they can be even too strong. And I don't think you should kill us all so recklessly''

''And why not?''

''Because that wouldn't be the human thing to do?'' two voices answered at the same time.

Again, all heads turn to the doorway, and just in time to see Kaname stop right in front of it.

''What?'' someone in the group asked.

This time Kaname was the only one to answer ''Killing all of us, even the innocent ones, the ones who don't want to fight and don't attack you would make you just like the ones you hate and are fighting against. Do you really want to become like the ones who you hate?''

Yuuki just kept looking at him.

The humans started at that comment and started talking amongst themselves.

Kaname turned around and started to walk away. And, of course, Yuuki followed him. He should have probably expected that, seeing as she knew him so well. Avoiding her failed, and now he could feel that she wanted to talk to him.

Suddenly she tripped over something and fell down, Kaname had long legs that were difficult to keep up with. He stopped and looked at her curiously, she was having a little fit.

'Uuurgh, perfect!' she yelled inside of her head 'way to humiliate yourself in front of him when he still doesn't know what to do around you.' He will probably think of her as an ungraceful little klutz and try to avoid her even more, thus making her task harder.

Unexpectedly though, she sees his feet stop in front of her and looks up. He was offering her a hand.

She blushed and smiled brilliantly at him, gently grasping his offered hand.

* * *

school's a bitch :s ... this is practically the only free time i had in two weeks *buuu*

well, my (real) b-day was on tuesday so i'm not complaining that much (out loud)^^

what do you think? ... is there something you want to see in the story?

hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^


	10. Chapter 9

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

The faint sound of footsteps could be heard in the long hallway. A lone figure was walking through it, his step slow and quiet, almost like he is afraid. But when looking at him, and his composed demeanour, you probably wouldn't even get the thought that he is anxious or tense.

Kaname ran his free hand through his hair and sighed. What will Yuuki do when she wakes up? Will she leave him? Would all the things he kept from her finally breach her limit of acceptance and push her away?

_Yuuki..._

His heart gave one heavy beat.

_Yuuki..._

He yearns her. He wants her touch, her smile, her kiss. _Her blood._ Another sigh, heavier than the last one, passed through his lips.

He can't help but hope that she would still accept him, that she would still envelop him in her arms when she gets back. She is so incredibly accepting and kind that she probably would.

There is a part of him that worries though, a part of him that says that she will leave him. It whispers that someone as pure and bright as her could not possibly love a tainted and blood covered monster like him. He could feel the rest of him slowly starting to listen to it.

He smiles a bit ironically. Yuuki always managed to silence that part of him; her eyes always chased it away to the furthest depths of his conscious mind. Though, that made it even more apparent that it's there when she is not near him.

_Yuuki..._

He needs her, in all the ways you could possibly need someone else.

_Yuuki..._

That doesn't mean that he wouldn't accept her decision to leave him if she made it. He would do anything for her, anything that makes her happy and content. And if that means giving her up, then he would do it.

He would give his life away too. It has no meaning when Yuuki is not in it.

_Yuuki..._

A sweet scent, he turned his head spotting a vase and stopped. There were beautiful roses in it, he supposed that there would be no harm in taking one. It could take the attention off of the bad choice of clothes that he had made.

He looked at the neat pile in his occupied hand; Yuuki would still be Yuuki, whatever she was wearing. Crossing the distance with two strides he took a single rose from the bouquet. It was beautiful, nature really is wonderful.

Looking at it a faint nostalgia crept over him. A feeling, a memory of a feeling, or a feeling of a memory came to him(he couldn't quite place what it was). It was shrouded in mist, like it was an old, forgotten dream. Though it felt real, he couldn't place it in a real timeline.

If felt familiar, like something he had unconsciously clung to when he didn't have anything else. The first thing that he remembered was the eyes, two very familiar looking eyes. Yuuki's eyes.

Slowly, the rest came then too.

Yuuki, in the past. With him. The feelings of acceptance and of healing. Her love and patience. The feeling of something being ripped from him when she left. And then darkness.

'_I will return to your arms one day' _

All of it came back, though faint, like it was experienced by a different person. As if it was a distant dream, a dream of a reality he had hoped to see again, the dream he had hung on to when everything came crashing down around him.

_Yuuki..._

He averted his eyes from the rose to the far end of the hallway, in the direction where he knew Yuuki was.

Could that have happened, he wouldn't be surprised if it did. With Yuuki anything is possible. She has been gone for a long time now, maybe she is indeed stuck somewhere in the past. Who knows?

She will come back sooner or later though. This is her rightful place, and where she will return to.

He will wait for her. It not a hard thing for him to do, he had spent most of his life waiting. He could wait a bit more.

_Yuuki..._

* * *

Crack...

Slowly but surely he could feel the wall he's put up around his heart crumbling. First the cracks will come, cracks like the ones that are appearing now. And he can't stop them, whatever he had planned to do now is rendered useless. Then the crumbling will start, and it won't stop until the very last traces of his resistance are obliterated.

He knows that that's going to be the way things will happen. He has a feeling that this attachment is going to be so strong and tenacious that it could very well reach the point of being disgraceful. Yet he can't help but let himself go and get taken.

He is mesmerised.

That smile can outshine the sun, and it's directed to him. It awakens a part of him he thought that had died, a part of him he had thought would never appear again. His heart reaches out for her, it calls to her, and she seems to know that. Her hand is so gentle, like she is minding him, as if she is afraid that he will break or run away if she would to hold on any tighter. She is reaching out to him, and he feels an urge to cling to her and never let go. _Why?_

Her embarrassed blushing could be considered endearing, but it's, once again, her eyes that capture him. They are happy, like this minor action had elated her. Was she really so attached to him? _How?_

This is the point of no return. If he is to try to push her away he has to do something now, before he loses the little will he has left to resist. But those eyes, they are clear, she will not be put back. They are calling him and he...

He lets go of her hand and starts to walk away. At least once more, at least one more time he has to push her away. He cannot afford to be left behind again, his will would shatter. Maybe she would listen to him and leave, though his heart hopes that she will not. It's amazing to see how much she influences him after only such a short time, he has known her for as little as a few fleeting hours.

He hears steps behind him, she has decided to follow. He closes his eyes in quiet anguish and takes in a long breath; it's too late for him to come out of this unaffected. The first little piece of the wall has crumbled off into dust with her action. The only thing he has left is the hope that she will not break him.

He really can be stubborn at times. Seriously, one moment he's caring and open like the way she remembered him, ready to accept his yearning and wish to have someone near him, ready to accept her. And the next he is back to his old despairing and anguished self that is afraid to embrace anyone close enough to himself where he would form an attachment, and pushes her away.

'Stupid oniisama, he is smarter in the future.' She huffs to herself. And they were having such a sweet moment and good progress too.

She calms down after a few strides.

She can understand him a little, she would probably hesitate too if she was hurt as badly as him. His anguish makes her want to pull him in her arms and never let go; she wants to always be there for him. And it breaks her heart to know that she won't be, she will return to the future/present and leave him here. Her only consolation is knowing that she will be with him again.

She looks at his back; it's still rigid and tense, lonely. But, this time, his pace is slower and easier to keep up with, she won't have to fall down trying to keep up. She smiles at him; looks like he has given up the fight. Though, there are still some things to overcome.

He walks into a room, a big room. It has quite a bit of furniture in it, but her eyes immediately zero in on a sofa against the far wall. The type looks a bit familiar.

Kaname goes right up to it and sits down, crossing his legs he rests his head on his hand and looks at her.

His gaze makes her blush a little and she averts her eyes, looking at the rest of the room.

The realisation hits when she sights a bed. This is his room, the room down the hallway from her own. Though, it's about four times the size of hers.

''You said that you were raised to cherish every life.'' Kaname suddenly said.

Yuuki was shocked and quickly looked back at him. She didn't think that he would be the one to start a conversation, especially considering how he is now. He just doesn't seem like the type.

When their eyes locked she could see a kind of resignation in them, he had accepted her and his fate. She smiled ''Yes.''

''Your parents... what were they like?''

She closes her eyes and tilts her head to face the ceiling , opening them again when she begins to talk ''They were kind and gentle. They never wanted to hurt anyone so they never fought. Their wish was to create a better, more accepting and peaceful world.'' She looked back at him and smiled ruefully ''They loved and accepted every form of life.''

He looked a bit in thought ''So it's from them that you learned to be so kind and accepting... and gentle.''

''Yes. But I did learn a bit from a family friend too. My parents died while I was still young so he took me in. He was one of the people who shaped who I am right now.''

Kaname took in what she said. She was loved and cared for, they have thought her to be so caring. It's no wonder that she accepts everyone, but there was a note in her voice that had left something hanging. There was something she hadn't said.

''One of the people?''

She smiled at him. It's amazing how he could pick up an exact detail that she couldn't reveal to him. At least not fully. ''Yes, there were others too. There was one person in particular that my world revolved around, and I'm pretty sure that he felt the same.''

She looked at him with a gaze so clear and honest that there was no mistaking the feelings that lay underneath. He knew that he could see her soul at that moment.

''In fact, I was born for him. I was born to belong to him and to live for him. You could say that I exist solely to be his.''

As she said that a feeling of dread and helplessness should have filled him, he should have been in despair all over again. Her word should have returned his heart to a pile of ashes, and not have reawakened it even more. The news that she already belongs to someone else should have shattered and completely broken his already worn and tattered soul, that had, with her arrival, inevitably begun to hope again.

And yet, despite her words, he found himself even more hopeful that before.

There was something in those unwavering eyes, in that honest voice that was meant for him. It was almost like she was calling for him, that's the feeling he got. With all his knowledge he could not explain what it was that told him that, maybe it was his soul, or her soul. He could see how much she is attached to him. Whoever she was talking about didn't matter, at least he felt like it didn't matter, she was telling those words to him. Those words were meant for him.

He could not take it anymore. She was just too much for him. He could feel his will to resist completely leaving him, there was none now, he was completely open to her will. Ironic, isn't it? How quickly and easily he embraced another person into his life, especially after what that woman's demise had done to him.

It's too late for anything now. He felt another piece of the wall crumble of into oblivion, and the smallest thread of an attachment was now connected to this girl. He wants her to stay here, to always be present. She has done too much to him.

''What am I to you?'' the question came out unbidden.

Her eyes widened a bit. His tone was resigned and completely open to her. He had decided to let her in. She chuckled a little at him, he looks like he's expecting impending doom and hurt. Is he really so afraid to get close to someone.

'Oniisama, how much have you suffered?' She sobered quickly and took as step towards him. She still can't comprehend all of this, and she probably never will. But what she does see is him, and that he needs her, however much he is unaware of it.

''Someone very, very precious.''

She stopped in front of him and was looking down, directly in his eyes. Neither of them broke eye-contact.

His eyes were no longer filled with turmoil, of pain and hurt, or despair. All what dominated in them now was need, a need so strong that he himself didn't even recognize it. He didn't even know it was there. He didn't even think, he couldn't, everything around him was blank. Everything except her and her eyes didn't exist at that moment.

There was an unbridled pull towards her, it was something his mind couldn't comprehend at this time.

He looks so vulnerable now, so much different from the Kaname in the future. And yet so much alike. She had only seen him this open and exposed with her, he only ever shows his weaknesses to her. And now this Kaname is doing the same.

She can't help herself but reach out to him when he's like this. One hand comes to rest on his cheek as her thumb caresses his cheekbone. The other one combs through his hair and comes to rest lightly at the back of his head. She held him gently and watched his eyes.

_Confusion_. Confusion and need, that's what he feels at this moment. It feels like time has stopped and there is just him and her. He does not know what to do, he does not know what to feel. How should he react? He should move back and tell her that she has come too close. But he doesn't want to.

He wants to pull her a little bit closer so that he could feel her warmth, so that there was an anchor he can cling onto when he can no longer go forward. Now there exists something he can hold on to again, she is here.

His hand doesn't move though, probably disbelieving that there is something to clutch tight again. He is only keeping still and letting her caress him. Her gentle and caring touch is something that he thought he'd never feel again. He lets himself go and lightly leans into her hands, his brain stopped thinking alltogether.

''You are a good person. A very good person.'' She said as she bends down and rests her chin on top of his head. Her arms encircle him and hold him tight.

Her sent is the only thing he can smell, it's so strong and overpowering that he thinks it will take over him. The smell of sunshine clings to her so tightly that it looks as if it's a part of her. Her touch, her arms, her cheek that has now replaced her chin are all so gentle and filled with kindness. They are the only things his senses feel.

_Thump... thump..._

Her heart, it's beating a little faster than normal. Is he the one affecting her like that? He closes his eyes and listens to its rhythm, completely letting the sound of her heartbeat fill his mind. Then he felt a tiny little pang of hunger.

For her? _Already_?

Another piece of the wall crumbles away into dust, it's almost half gone. All that's left of it a cracked visage, one more thing and it'll be almost completely gone.

Amazing how much he has already taken to this girl. In, not even a day, she has managed to strip away everything he had put up to stand between them.

She stepped back from him, leaving only her arms on the back of his shoulder and head. He found out that he missed the contact. The sound of her heartbeat was quieter too. Her scent was still strong though, even if not as strong and overpowering as before. His eyes opened halfway to look at her.

She was beautiful. He can see her in a new light now. She is different from the childish, innocent person he had thought her to be. She still has the innocence, but a different kind of innocence. There was no childishness in her anymore, there is a kind of understanding in her that he hadn't seen before. He is sure that it had been there before, it wasn't a thing that you could gain overnight, only it was hidden from his sight. It was unnoticeable to everyone else but herself, and, yet, an essential part of her.

She looked at him in such a way that he felt like he was left exposed in front of her, defenceless. What has happened for him to give her this much already?

Crack.., crumble...

Slowly, her arm, the one that was resting on the back of his shoulder, came up and trailed a path from his shoulder, up his neck and came to rest on his other cheek (the one that was left out the first time). She tilted his head up a bit so that his face was easier to see.

This time, of its own accord, his hand came up and placed itself above her own. Kaname didn't even realize that it was happening until the action was done. Taking it back under his control he let it fall down a little and rest on her wrist, his fingers wrapped lightly around it. He himself didn't know why he did it; it could be a last attempt in regaining control. But it probably was to hold her hand in place.

He forgot about his hand soon though, easily getting lost in her eyes. Another part of the wall crumbled off.

They didn't move from that position for a few moments. He had again gently leaned into her warm hand. Then Yuuki closed her eyes and leaned in, resting her forehead lightly on Kaname's. Rubbing their foreheads a bit she tilted his head a little more and kissed him.

The last big piece of his wall shattered and disappeared. All that was left of it was the base, now reduced to mere rubble.

It wasn't a remarkable kiss, just a short meeting of lips that probably lasted for a moment or two. But what passed between them then meant so much more.

He could barely comprehend the level of emotion she feels for him. The kiss gave him more than he could grasp at that moment, it would probably be some time before he does.

She locked her eyes with his again as they separated, a blush was tainting her cheeks. He wanted to touch her cheek so much at that moment, the impulse was so strong. His hand came up. It was barely a fingers length from her cheek when a knock was herd.

''Kaname-san, we must go now. Are you coming?''

That startled Kaname into full awareness, his hand stopped in mid air. He was confused now.

''...'' ...

''Yes. I'm coming out.'' He said as he disentangled himself from Yuuki and went for the door.

When his hand grasped the doorknob he looked back behind him. She was looking directly at him, blush still on her cheeks. Maybe he should stay here, even if he is confused and in need to sort things out, leaving her here, after what just happened, would be impolite and cruel.

As if reading his mind she gave him a smile and said ''Don't worry about me. You should go, there are more important things for you to do now.''

And with a nod he turned around and left.

* * *

okay?... was that any goood?

i had real fun writing this one ^^  
though, Kaname doesnt seem real kaname-ish ... but i think it was for the sake of the story to make him a little ooc ... What do you think?

i dont know when i'll update next ... i hope it'll be within this week (as friday's a hollyday and the weekend's, well, the weekend^^), but my family might monopolize me this whole week so i dont know *sigh*

i'll try to have another chapter up soon (but not this long..., this is my limit among limits(at least i think so)) :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter

**OH, and i totally forgot to say this up till now** ... _a biiiiiiiiig thank you to everyone who favorated/alerted/rewieved this story (or me as an author) i really apreciate it ... it means so much and gives me the oomph to write more_ ^_^

~lily


	11. Chapter 10

me is back ppls ^^  
and i bring a lil chappie with me ... enjoyz**_

* * *

_**

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

The door closed with a definite thump. The second wood contacted wood Yuuki threw herself backwards on the sofa. She was sure that her face was as red and hot as the sun; she could practically see it radiate heat all around her. In fact, she could probably melt half of the North Pole with just the front of her head.

When did she become so, so, so... direct in love and the showing of affection? Because, she can clearly remember being the shy one and sometimes turning away in embarrassment whenever Kaname had decided to kiss her.

What is it about him now that makes her so different in her approach? She has to admit, though, that taking the lead once in awhile is fun. And it certainly is fulfilling to see _him_ at a loss for words for once. Seeing him in a daze(of her making) like that is almost as cute as seeing a bumbling little puppy trying to find his little legs when he first stands up. Of course, Kaname was a bit more adorable than that.

His lost gaze immediately made her want to hug him and hold him tight to herself. Which she did, and found out that the contact between them affected her in the same way whatever time she was in. Those lost eyes drew her in, she had no choice but to obey them.

His vulnerability automatically made her change her approach. _He_ has always been the one to protect _her_, _he_ was always the one who comforted_ her, he_ was the one who carriedall the responsibility. And she was the carefree, ignorant one, even after she awoke again. She feels so disappointed in herself for not even noticing something as big as this bothering and torturing oniisama.

Now she wants to be the one to protect him, she wants to be the one who will comfort him and the one who he will rely on. She is almost there, he had given up altogether. He had completely opened himself to her, there's no turning back now.

Did he, himself, even see how much he has accepted her already? He may not know the scale, but his soul does, and it has shown her how much through his eyes. Maybe it was as not straightforward and noticeable as it felt to her, but it had definitely been there. She had seen, lying deep underneath the surface, the feelings of acceptance and a heavy yearning that were his most fundamental and deep-rooted emotions. They were so primal that one's own conscious mind wouldn't recognize it.

She knows that she probably doesn't even recognize her own feelings that go as deep as that, but Kaname seemed to see them in her back then. And, like that, she too had seen them in him now. Funny, how life had mirrored their roles in such a little time span.

She blushes, does that mean that she will have to start the kisses from now on. Her blush deepens; why does she automatically think that there will be more kisses? 'Ungh', she cuddles up into a ball, was she really turning into such a pervert.

Although, she shouldn't blame herself. It's only natural to want to kiss and hold, and touch the one you love; it's just so unusual for her to be the first one to do it. If possible, her face heats up even more and she starts to frantically roll from side to side in her embarrassment. She really did resemble an insane person like that.

When her bout of typical Yuuki passed she laid flat on her back again. One leg was stretched out on the sofa and the other dangling from the side, her arm lightly thrown over her face (T/N just like Kaname in the dorm).

It, too, is only natural to feel the yearning for the blood of your loved one. And her hunger has now let itself be known. It wasn't that strong and devastating though, she could handle it. It's better than burdening Kaname with her spoiled and childish nature like she does in the future/present.

But she really craves his blood, and it's barely been a day since she came. The amount of it that she took from Kaname should have comfortably made her full for some time. So this means that she is hungry for _his_ life energy, hungry for _him._ And not because of any nutritional reasons.

Sigh ... should've known

But, if she were to take any blood from him, could she give him her own blood in return? Her memories would flood into him, and that wouldn't be fair. She supposes that giving him little snippets that are difficult to understand wouldn't be harmful, but the question is would she be able to give him_ just _snippets. She is not very good at hiding things, she never was. Maybe if she were to think of something else while he was drinking from her...

But, who says that he would let her drink from him. Who says that he would even consider drinking from her (T/N in denial, I know^^). He would have to have strong feelings towards her to allow her to drink from him, and even stronger ones to, even a little, crave her blood in return. And she doesn't think he feels anything even remotely close to those feelings right now.

Although, his eyes showed that he was starting to. Her heart leapt at that fact.

Knock, knock, knock.

The three short taps on the door brought her out of her reverie. She straightened herself into a sitting position and looked at the door confusedly.

Why would anyone be knocking on it now? They had already called Kaname, and he is with them. This is his room, so there is no reason to knock on the door of someone who they know is not here. Is someone looking for _her_?

''Yuuki-san, could you please come out?'' the voice of the friendly girl asked.

Yuuki stood up and went for the door. 'How did she know that I'm here?' she wondered and blushed fiercely. 'Did she smell me on oniisama?'

Still blushing, she opened the door and looked shyly at the older looking girl.

The girls' eyes widened a bit at the sight of a blushing Yuuki and her demeanour seemed to soften a tiny little bit. She cracked a smile, uttering ''Follow me'' while she slowly turned around and began walking.

The soft click of the door closing could be heard and Yuuki was quickly by her side. The girl would better be described as an innocent puppy than a dangerous monster.

The blush still in place, if a little fading, Yuuki asked ''Um..., how did you know where to find me?''

The girl chuckled ''I saw you leaving after Kaname-san. And, Kaname-san seemed a little spaced out when he and the rest passed us, so it wasn't difficult to guess where you would be'' she said looking at her, Yuuki turned a deeper shade of pink. ''Plus, I can feel your aura and recognize you by it.'' She continued while turning her gaze on the hallway in front of them.

Yuuki nodded and also turned to look ahead. She felt a little bit happier than before. At least there was someone here who liked her enough to have small talk, and not reply with one-word sentences. 'There is still hope for the future if there are people ready to accept some of us even now' she smiled.

''Um, why do you need me?'' she asked.

The girl gave her a sidelong glance and answered ''I want to introduce you to the injured that you helped. They should know who saved them, and who they owe their life to.''

''Is that alright?''

''Yes. You helped us and we should show you the gratitude your act deserves.'' she answered right off the bat, then frowned a little ''Some of us are just too thick-headed to understand.'' The girl smiled at her.

''If you say so. Where did Kaname and the rest go?'' she asked, a little bit worried about them. The girl said that oniisama was spaced out.

If he was spaced out enough for others to see it, then she really gave him something to think about.

The girls' smile grew, she noticed the conspicuous absence of a suffix at the end of Kaname-san's name. This girl really did know him well enough to be so intimate with him. And it is pretty obvious from Kaname-san's dazed aura that she affected him in a way. She only hopes that the others haven't noticed it too much, or it could spell trouble. Especially if that hot-head found out, who knows what he'd make out of it. Let's just hope that he'll be too focused on other things to pay too much attention to Kaname-san. The girl sighed, why did he have to be one of the people to go out.

Upon hearing her sigh Yuuki turned her eyes to her worriedly; the colour was almost all gone from her face by now ''Is it that dangerous?'' she asked.

She blinked and smiled at Yuuki sheepishly ''Oh, no. Not at all. They went out to look around and observe. I believe Kaname-san called it reconnaissance, or something like that. They are not going to have a mayor fight or anything like that, there are too little of them for that. This is just to see which..._ vampires_ are too dangerous to be left to live.''

Yuuki noticed the pause and little correction. She found it sweet that the girl would even consider her comfort and amend the things she was going to say. It was clear that she was used to saying monsters or, the hunter preferred, bloodsuckers.

She smiled back at the girl. ''Okay, that's good. Thank you for telling me.''

''No problem'' the girl answered ''Come on'' she called back at her as she speed up.

* * *

i dont think i'm going to write yuuki meeting with the injured or anything like that, i'm too bored to do it and there is not enough patience and imagination for it. So the next chapter is most likely going to be centered aroung kaname... again (i find it easier and easier to write while centered on his thoughts, him in particular ^^)...

there is one other thing that was bothering me: if it turns out that the hunter girl isnt a hunter girl, rather a vampire with the hunters and kaname, I WILL rewrite the story and make it more acceptable+accurate and less AU-ish ^_^

hope this chapter was good and you enjoyed it ^^


	12. Chapter 11

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

An inaudible sigh passed through his lips. What has happened, what was happening? Everything is slowly spinning out of his control.

One moment he was sure that the rest of his existence was going to be lonely and full of pain, and the next _she _comes and turns him inside out.

Even now, while he walks on the open planes far away from her, he can't comprehend all of the emotions that he felt under her touch. How can the sheer presence of one person affect someone to this scale? How can sheaffect _him_ this much?

He has already formed an attachment to her, he can feel it. The only consolation for his mind can be the fact that it isn't that strong yet. His heart can feel its inexplicable tenacity though, now she is capable of internally hurting him with her actions, she can affect him more than the rest of the world. He wouldn't go as far as to say that she holds his heart in her hand, but if it all continues in the same pace it has held until now, soon she will.

He had, long ago, abandoned himself to the life of solitude and forever yearning, long ago had he accepted the fate of pain and hurt, abandonment. His heart was encased in ice, and no one had ever done anything to warm it, no one had even recognized that he was in pain. The lives of those around him were so fleeting and short that he had no hope but to forever be left behind.

It was not like they had understanding once they knew what he was either. Humans shun all those that are different from themselves, they are afraid of them and almost always escalate to violence.

Yet, despite all that they did against him, he always wanted to be one of them, to live freely among them, to be like everyone around him. He wanted to belong, to belong with them like they belonged amongst each other.

Every time, they made it quite clear that he didn't.

He sighed again. It was a sad and pitiful existence, until she came. That woman.

She pulled him out of the hole of agony and loneliness he was in; only to throw him back in it again later. She had given him the love and attention he had craved, had given him her blood as an alternative to drinking and turning humans. And, in return, he had gotten attached to her.

Just when he thought that there is hope, that he does have a place in the world after all, a place where he isn't alone, she was ripped from him. And it was partly his own fault.

He, himself, had planned to be the sacrifice for the humans. He hadn't meant for that woman to die, that was the last thing he wanted.

And yet, marvellously, she had managed to break him apart with a single act.

It felt so cruel, after she gave him that much, for it all to be taken away. He had finally found the place to return to, before it was once again ripped from underneath his feet. She had played her role well, and had proven that he is destined to always be alone.

Inevitably, everything that was given to him was, once again, taken away. And taken just when he'd begun to feel again after a long time. She had left and pulled everything away with her.

He had, once again, resigned himself to an eternity of loneliness. He had resigned himself to the fact that he had no allies. With that woman's passing his heart was reduced to a pile of dull, lifeless ashes, his world existed only in black and white. Everything blurred past him, not even gaining a scrap of his attention.

The hunters with their weapons and the vampires who stood by him all were the ones he wanted to change the world with, they all were what he wanted to keep in this world. And yet, not a single one of them touched his heart.

He had given up on ever feeling again, the only thing he wanted was death.

And then, in the midst of all this hate and conflict,_ she_ came. Yuuki.

She was just there when he looked. He could pinpoint her presence only when he had concentrated on her, only when he already knew she was there.

She had been watching him, _him_, with those calm expressive eyes. She had seen his misery and the pain he was going through, and he saw in her eyes so much compassion that an ocean is too little a comparison.

Looking back at that moment, he remembers feeling an irrational urge to throw himself at her, at her feet. In that second, beyond all the hurt and despair, the thing he remembers feeling is an overwhelming wish to go into her arms and bury his head in her embrace.

Though, that moment didn't last long. He can remember almost immediately falling back to his previous state, he realises now that he almost hurt her with his words.

She did seem a bit relieved after he had made himself clear about replacements, which prompted him to 'examine' his own reaction to the weird girl.

A ghost of a smile passed over his lips; yes he could clearly remember the faint outrage that fleeting moment sparked. He almost chuckled; how different his mindset was just a short day ago.

Now, she has embedded herself deep under his skin, and, instead of letting him go and fleeing from him, she pulls him closer. He can already feel the steady, cursed wish for her blood.

He stops walking abruptly and turns his head sideways, towards the faint breeze gliding past them. The rest of group around him stop as well. They look at him questioningly; he had never behaved like this before.

She has a big hold over him already. He closed his eyes and inhaled the soft scent that the breeze carried with it, the soothing smell of the forest.

''Kaname-san, are you alright?'' asked the man closest to him, but it was more out of annoyance than concern.

''Yes,'' was his softly spoken reply, it was almost barely audible. He turned and continued on the way they were going. There was a task that needed to be accomplished now, his brooding can come later.

#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#

_Tap... tap... tap... tap... tap..._

Light footsteps could be heard in the bright corridor. There was a lengthy pause between them, indicating quite a long stride.

But, unlike the usual firm and unmoving impression hearing them gave you about their owner, these seemed hesitant and indecisive. And, inside his calm mask, Kaname truly was conflicted.

He ground to a slow stop in the middle of the sunlit hall, he couldn't figure out what to do. Vampires are deeply asleep when the sun is out this high, Yuuki too should be asleep by now. He should not bother her now.

A sigh escaped his lips at the thought.

He wanted to go and see her. He needed to assure himself that she is indeed there, that she is real. He yearned to know more about her. He wished to understand why she chose him.

As far as he knew people craved happiness and love. They looked for someone caring and comforting and warm, the things that he is not. Not towards anyone else it seems.

For as long as he lived only one person had seen more to him than his cold and ruthless exterior, he supposes that he should take that as a sign of reality. And he really is the things they think of him, he does not deny that. He is a horrid and detestable creature that does not deserve a place in this world.

So, what does she see in him?

He turned around to walk away.

It's as if he is something other than a monster to her, as if the mere thought of him as a monster is impossible. Or it could be that she knows that side of him and has accepted it wholly.

Either way, her fingers clearly told him that it doesn't matter. He didn't get the feeling that she doesn't know that about him. After all she had seen him fighting and killing excessive amounts of her own kind, and didn't seem that rattled by the sight. Any notion of gentleness and kindness she had about him in her mind should have immediately disappeared.

Yet, she didn't seem deterred by the sight, she didn't show any signs of giving up or changing her, obviously gentle, image of him.

Her soft lips affirmed that fact.

Unconsciously, he brought his hand up and softly, lightly brushed his fingertips on his lips. Barely aware of the action, he absently noted that the sensation of his fingers is nothing like Yuuki's lips. Compared to what she made him feel this sensation is barely worthy of being called a touch.

Those soft, caring, attentive lips are something that he is never going to forget. For as long as he may exist the affection and pure devotion those lips had shown to him will never fade from his memory.

She felt that way about him. Something deep within his soul told him that. Even if it's against all rational thought, the words that she spoke were meant for him, while they may have been about someone else.

He looks back towards the door a little distance off in the corridor. That was his destination.

His shadowed eyes shone with the faint, but unmistakeable light of longing.

After someone gave you that much of themselves and accepted you as whole-heartedly as clearly Yuuki has him, there is no room for any other thought but to surrender irrevocably.

He can have doubts, but to even try to push her away is impossible. She may not hold his heart fully yet, but there is a significant part of it that she does. Resistance is futile, in the true meaning of the phrase. He cannot, and will not, overcome her, to even try is impossible and useless.

One more push, one more string of attachment and he will belong solely to her.

He must see her, his heart won't accept any other answer to its longing but her. She has woken it up. And she is there, so close, just at the end of the hall.

Her scent, although barely, comes even this far. Such a clean and pure smell, it's hardly believable that it belongs to a living being, let alone a vampire.

It pulls him, calls him, and he has no other choice but to obey. Of their own accord, his legs take him down the hallway. His daze is so strong and all consuming that he doesn't even realise he is moving until his eyes lock on the wooden door directly in front of him.

His hand comes up to trace the pattern of the wood while his mind registers more of her calming scent, it's a lot stronger here.

Letting his head rest on the door he takes in long breaths of air, trying to absorb as much proof of her presence here as he can. Her smell and aura can't be faked, not this well, not to him who knows too much about deception to not be able to discern between genuine and false.

And then another evidence of her existence comes to him.

The faint sound of her breathing comes to his ears, slow and deep, the breaths of someone sincere and trusting. Next, barely audible, almost inaudible, but sure, unmistakable, steady sound of her heartbeat envelops him.

He almost absently follows the continuous rhythm that signals the constant flow of her strong blood.

Immersed in the calm that his senses have started to enforce on him while she is this near, he feels a small craving take hold of him.

It quickly grows stronger, to the point where there is no mistaking what it is.

He brought up the hand that lay forgotten by his side and got a hold of his throat. This hunger, it's unmistakable, and it's directed to Yuuki. It's caused by Yuuki.

Never had he thought that he would fall down before her so easily.

Yet, here he is, standing outside her door, hungering, and desperately wanting to go inside.

She is affecting him so much.

He cannot take it anymore.

Slowly, thoughtfully, the hand that wasn't holding his throat slid off the door and got a hold of the doorknob. Gently, he pushed down the doorknob and swung the door open.

With his first step into the room his senses were assaulted by the strength of her sheer presence. Everything was stronger, much denser and more concentrated in the room. The sounds were louder, her scent was much more potent, her aura unbridled. Now, the only senses that were left unsatisfied were sight and touch. Touch probably won't be indulged.

A tiniest of movements caught his eye, and then he spotted her. She was still asleep, a miracle considering their enhanced senses and acute awareness. She should have woken up at the slightest sound of his approach, the faintest whiff of his scent, the lightest feel of his aura. And yet, she didn't. It could only be a testament of how much she is trusting of him and everyone here.

Truly, she is a rare jewel to ever grace this world.

Her chest rose with the slow and rhythmic intake of her breaths, reflecting the blissfulness that her unconscious mind feels.

She was sleeping on her back, lightly turning to her side. Her beautiful, relaxed face was upturned, but slightly leaning towards her hand, which was resting against the pillow.

_Pang..._

He let the door go, thus allowing it to close, and brought both hands up. The one that was closed around his neck before had fallen to his chest and was now clutching the area above his heart. The one that had been on the door was now holding his burning throat.

He felt himself lean on the door for support, he needed to calm down. This strong a reaction is surprising and unexpected. Again, for who-knows-which time, he felt at a loss when dealing with her.

Only now has he even begun to grasp the sheer scale of the influence she has on him. And its strength is certainly bound to increase. He isn't sure how he knows this fact, but there exists nothing that can stop it now.

Ironically, it felt like an eternity passed before the hunger subsided.

She seemed to be having a dream. A little frown was forming on her delicate face, he had the urge to go and rub it off.

She seemed to be scared, or anxious. And then, instantly, her face relaxed and brightened up, like she had seen someone very dear and close to her. She looked like she didn't have a care in the world.

What would make her feel like that?

''_...oniisama...''_

The sound of her voice reached his ear. It was filled with warmth and affection, and reverence. She said in much the same way she did his name. Only, there was a twinge of sadness when she spoke to him. Here, there was nothing but love.

He felt his breath hitch slightly. He had been foolish to assume that he is the only one she sees, that he is the only one she has such feelings for.

Seeing how gently and accepting she is it wouldn't surprise him if she thinks of most people this way. Still, it's harder to breathe than it was just a few seconds ago. It feels as if a heavy weight has been placed around his heart, slowly constricting it.

She did say that there was someone very precious in her life that thought her to be gentle and caring, someone who felt the same way about her as she did about him.

The way she said it made him feel that she was talking about him, but it clearly wasn't the case. After all, he obviously wasn't anywhere near her up to a day and a half ago.

He is so selfish; to even think that she is here solely for him is nothing more than wishful thinking. She also said that she can't return home at the moment and that that's why she is staying with them, meaning that she will still eventually leave.

He turned to leave and grabbed the doorknob, and was suddenly stopped.

''_...Kaname...''_

The word was whispered but clearly heard.

He froze, maybe she had woken up. Unable to stop himself he turned his head to look back at her. No, she was still asleep. That meant that she dreamt of him too, that he is not so insignificant to her. And abruptly the weight was lifted from him.

His name was said with the same tenderness, warmth and love that she called her brother with, there was not a speck of sadness in it.

He had a place in her heart, even if he had to share it. You wouldn't call anyone's name out in your sleep, and he has found he is happy as long as she has a place for him, as long as he can be anywhere near her.

The cover of the bed stirred and she changed position. Her eyes slowly creaked open, and revealed to the world a pair of identical, precious twin orbs, that locked straight on his eyes.

It was dark, much too dark. She didn't see anything, and she should have. Being a vampire gives you the sole advantage to see in the dark, however much dark it is outside. And yet, she still didn't see a thing, it was too dark even for her vampire eyes.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Where is she? She doesn't know of any place as dark as this, everywhere she's ever been (at least when she was a vampire) she could see. In the darkest of the dark rooms, even when she was locked, she could see. And now she can't.

As far as she knows there exists no place in the world that's dark enough that even a vampire can't see anything, much less a pureblood like herself.

Then this is a place that doesn't exist? She frowned and twirled around hoping to see something, anything. Still, there was nothing, only blackness.

If this means that_ here_ doesn't exist, does it also mean that _she _doesn't exist. That makes no sense.

Then, could this be a dream? It fits everything a dream is, after all the impossible is probable in this place. But, shouldn't dreams be pleasant not uncomfortable like this one.

''_Yuuki''_

She inhales sharply, startled, but relaxes almost instantly a fraction of a second later. Warmth, calmness and an incredible feeling of security fill her, love.

She turns around slowly and _sees_ him. The only thing that is visible.

He is as relaxed as ever, just standing there he projects an overwhelming feeling of openness towards her. A small smile is gracing his lips, it makes him even more beautiful than he usually is. His gaze is only on her, taking in the whole of her being. His arms are open and accepting, waiting for her to come, calling her to come. She can't resist him, there is no other choice but to obey.

This is the Kaname she knows, this is _her_ Kaname, the future Kaname.

She runs towards his embrace ''...oniisama'' and slams right into him. Her arms wind around him and hold on tight, afraid of ever letting go. Her head is buried in his chest, just above his collarbone. She takes in his scent and presence, marvelling in them.

He nuzzles her hair and pulls her head up by her chin. Slowly he kissed her full on the lips. The kiss was a message filled with love, warmth, reverence and pure undiluted devotion.

She knew that he was hers, and he knew that she was his.

''_I will wait for you, forever if I have to''_ Was his gentle whisper, and then he slowly let her go.

''...Kaname...'' she called and reached up to touch his face, he leaned into her hand. She knew what he meant, and was happy that he approved. He will wait for her to come back, and she will most definitely return to his embrace.

But now, as she watched his figure flicker and slowly dissipate, she steeled herself for the return to reality, and her mission. This is something that only she can do, it's her responsibility to follow through what she started.

She closed her eyes and felt herself fall. When she opened her eyes the world was no longer dark and lonely. On the contrary, it was a bit too bright; it was probably day outside. But wondering about that could wait a bit longer, she first has to seek _him_.

Immediately she found his eyes. It wasn't that hard either, considering that she knew exactly where he is. His scent, and presence, the sound of his breathing and beating heart fill the room and calm her inexplicably. It was probably all those things that she subconsciously registered and that allowed her to see oniisama in her dream.

He seems a bit confused and hesitant, nothing that can't be overcome.

Propping herself up on her elbows she tried to hide a massive yawn behind her hand. She failed miserably. Still, when she was done she gave him a huge smile and uttered ''Good morning.''

There were a few seconds of silence as woke up from his thinking induced daze, registered that she had spoken, slowly blinked a few times and composed a reply ''Yes, but it's the middle of the day.''

Yuuki started to laugh at his unusual reaction, it's not every day you get to see a _nearly_ flustered Kaname at a loss for words.

He found that he was enchanted by her laugh. Such a happy and carefree sound, it made his soul vibrate and tremble along with it. She was truly something incredible. And she seems not even a bit uncomfortable finding him in the room when she woke up.

''Kaname''

He looked up into her eyes, it looks like she had noticed him contemplating. Her eyes were smiling. They were once again calling him towards her, he could barely restrain himself from falling on his knees in front of her and clutching her waist for support. Those eyes gave him back feelings and true emotion, all the things he thought he had lost forever a long time ago. They were his real link to this world, they are the windows to his soul. Such beautiful, accepting, clear eyes could not possibly be real, even if they were, they should not look at him. And yet, they are both, the evidence is right in front of him.

''Do you need something?'' she asked curiously, probably wondering why he is here.

What can he say, what should he say? He cannot put on her the burden of the words that he needs _her_. She is not his, and revealing this would put her in a difficult spot. He is surely not the only one she cares about, not even the one she cares for the most. Her responsibility is not towards him, and yet he is certain that she would do whatever it takes to make him happy. She seems like that kind of person.

But can he do it, can he let her go? He has found himself too trapped by everything even remotely related to her to manage to let her go. She means too much to him now. Everything that he is, that makes _him_, wants _her_.

''Yuuki...I...'' what can he say. The words that will let her be free cannot come out of his mouth, he cannot say them. It feels like he is about to choke, or like he is drowning. They refuse to be said, his heart refuses to let go the only other being that made it feel again, that made it alive. She is the sole reason it beats.

Then she smiled. It was a small, knowing smile. She raised her hand in his direction and said ''Come here, Kaname.''

He stayed rooted to the spot, thinking that it was a dream or something he imagined hearing. But her hand stayed up, even after four, five, six seconds passed. Her eyes looked deep into his the whole time, and he felt himself slowly losing the will to think on his own. He wanted to do all she asked of him, no matter what it was.

But still, he can't as selfish as to tell her what he truly wants. She deserves better than that.

''Come''

That one word, along with her eyes, shattered his resolve. He found himself slowly going step by step closer to her.

Their eyes stayed locked the whole time, never leaving each other. Her gaze never wavered from his, it never shoved even the slightest sign of hesitation. And he lost himself in it.

He stopped by the bed, just in front of her semi-recumbent form. Her hand reached up and started pulling him down by the front of his shirt.

He stayed still in his surprise, not even acknowledging her action. But slowly, the resistance in him crumbled away. He let himself fall completely into her grasp.

Most of his heart is now in the palm of her hand. He knows it, she seems to know it. But one can never be completely sure, she looked like she knew what would happen a long time ago, or did she sense it.

Either way, thinking about in now will be useless and a waste of energy.

He let himself be dragged down until he was crouching down on his knee and leaning over her, their faces were only a little distance apart and their breaths mingled into one.

She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled his ear closer to her. Her warm breath ghosting over his skin made him feel completely at ease, he surrendered to her.

''Don't pull away from me, Kaname.'' Her soft voice said in his ear.

He closed his eyes and relaxed further. He put one elbow on the bed to support himself, and the other hand came up and lightly gripped her wrist. He is hers. It cannot be denied any longer, if it ever was. She knows him whole, even he doesn't know how. There is only one thing left to figure out in this moment.

''Why...'' he started to ask, but found that he couldn't finish. Her eyes revealed to him all the answers, everything she knew. Nothing was left hidden from him, if only he knew how to decipher everything that was shown. He had never been allowed to see this much in a person before, not even with that woman. Yuuki's pure gaze held so much depth and emotion in it that he didn't know where to start. He had never encountered such emotions before, not in or from anyone he had ever encountered before now.

She only smiled back at him.

Then, after what seemed like a long time, she said ''Because it was meant to be.'' And her other arm left the bed and wound around his neck. She drew herself up and closer to him while she affectionately rubbed her cheek against his.

He had, once again, gone still and unmoving with surprise. His eyes were open wider than usual and portrayed shock. This was one of those rare times when anyone who looked at him would know what he's thinking.

His grip had gone slack and thus she managed to reclaim her hand and tangle her fingers in the hair at the back if his head.

And, suddenly, he knew what was coming next.

She pulled him closer to herself, or pulled herself closer to him, his mind couldn't register the difference. Then, their lips met.

This kiss was different from the first one. It was by no means short. She took her time to show him everything she could through her lips. This kiss didn't tell him how she felt about him, her feelings were perfectly clear by now. No, this kiss told him what she was ready to do, ready to go through to make him happy. It showed him the sheer reverence and devotion of her heart, and mind, and soul.

He felt like she was telling him that she belonged to him, that she was_ his_. But that couldn't be. Still, he knew that with this, all of his heart was now in the palm of her hand. He knew that every fibre that he is is now solely hers.

An eternity later they separated, but stayed only a breath apart.

His eyes looked straight into hers, questioning. Her face was flushed, a beautiful, enticing blush spread wide across her cheeks. An invitation no vampire could ever resist.

But he must resist, if only for now, if only to ask her why.

He drew his own hand up and put it on her cheek. She leaned into it, and he felt warmth fill him when she did.

Lightly caressing her with his thumb he asked ''Why me?... Why is it _me_ that you chose?''

She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning further into his hand she answered '' it was meant to be. Because it is you.''

Kaname couldn't name the things that he was feeling, anymore. He didn't know what he was doing, he barely knew what he was saying. He dimly registered his legs moving and him sitting on the bed now. He didn't remember telling his hand that wasn't holding her cheek, to place itself on the side of her head to support him.

He was now leaning above her and still looking deep into her eyes.

''What about everyone else dear to you, above me?''

Both of her hands left their previous position and gently, lovingly cupped his face. He almost fully lost himself, his mind almost stopped thinking altogether.

''What made you think there is anyone else above you.'' His eyes widened, and she smiled reassuringly up at him. ''My soul belongs to you.''

He doesn't know how to identify this emotion, he doesn't remember ever feeling something this strong. And her gaze, her inviting gaze, he can no longer resist.

So he let himself be lost, and his heart took control.

Suddenly, almost despairingly, he kissed her. _He_ kissed _her_. His lips hanging onto her, as if he thought that she would disappear at any moment, as if he didn't believe that she is real, only a fleeting dream.

But she stayed there, her lips were soft but substantial against his. She responded to his feelings, to his searching heart, and kissed him back.

He kissed her until he was certain that she wouldn't disappear, shimmer out of his arms.

When they separated he found that he couldn't look her in the eyes. He felt like he had wronged her with his action. So he rested his head on her chest and concentrated on the quick beating of her heart.

They stayed like that for some time, both needed to compose and regain control. Then, Kaname decided that he had listened to Yuuki's heart for long enough, and removed himself from her chest in fear of awakening his hunger.

''What about that one precious person? The one you said you were born for, the one you said you solely exist for, the one your world revolved around.'' He asked her, still afraid to lock his eyes with hers, still thinking all of this to be surreal and not meant for him.

Everything he had ever had was at one time or another ripped from him, or it didn't belong to him in the first place. Why should this be any different? The fact that he's given himself up so completely, more than any other previous time didn't mean that the inevitable outcome will be any different.

But, whatever she says or does, he will always belong to her from now on. There is no helping it. Nothing he, she, or anyone else does will change that, that is what he is certain of.

''So is that what's eating you?'' she replied to him. Her voice was so soft and caring that he felt an overwhelming urge to look at her. She sounded so accepting of everything, even him.

Her hands, which were resting on his shoulders, affectionately came up and cupped his face, turning it so that he was looking directly at her. She gazed deep into his eyes for a long time, absently letting her fingers do gentle little caressing circles on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, letting himself go. All tiresome thoughts left his mind.

''Don't worry about that. You will understand it one day.'' She said and smiled wistfully ''Though, it won't make sense for a long, long time to come.''

She really did know how to make someone curious. But, surprisingly, her words did calm him. Somehow, it is soothing and more elating when someone you care for this much sees _you_ the most.

Everything, every part of him is now attached to her, and by strands as strong as steel, maybe even stronger. But, what makes him feel alive the most is the knowledge that she too is attached to him, and just as strongly as he is now attached to her. Looking at her, feeling her presence, smelling her scent is what he will live for from now on, it's what will give a reason for his heart to beat.

But, he must leave. He must give her the time to look over this correctly, to make a calm and uninfluenced decision. However much unnecessary it may be.

He closed his eyes against the little pang of pain and longing even the thought of separation from her brings him. He isn't used to it, and it makes him want to stay with her, but staying is not fair to her.

He doesn't want to leave, not of his own will.

Still, he has to, and he will. He will leave so that his stay doesn't inconvenience her. He will do nothing that isn't for her benefit, that thought is engraved in his soul from this day onward.

He made a move to leave, but was stopped almost instantly. Two rather strong hands that were still cupping his face (and are now tangled in his hair) refused to let him go.

His heart skipped one little beat in hope, but he still said ''I must go.''

''No, you don't'' she said quickly, a blush was spreading across her cheeks rapidly. Her hands tightened in his hair and pulled him closer, resting his head on her chest. Her arms now wrapped around him and held him firmly against her.

Her heart rate was increasing fast and her breath was hot against his exposed cheek. All he wanted at that moment was to embrace her and never let go, to stay like this with her for all eternity.

But, her arms slightly loosened after a few seconds. ''If you really have to leave, I won't stop you. But, if you're doing this for me, as a consideration of my well-being and my wishes, then I'd rather you stayed here, with me.''

And he did. He didn't fight her and question her as much as he should have, he didn't question her at all after what she said. He just gave himself up to her and absorbed all that is her, he took in her very essence.

This is where he belonged, this is where he wished to be, in her embrace.

''As you wish.''

* * *

i like this chapter, i really really like it. ^^  
SURE, it did take me a few days to write it, but (in my opinion) it turned out great _(if you think otherwise din hesitate to tell me so i can watch out for simmilar things in the future)_ ...-...- and i found out that longer breaks actually helped in a way that i didnt rush the writing and made it more like my original idea

SO SORRY for the late update though. I hope that it'll be better from now on. But i'm not sure

Even if i dont update for periods as long as this it doesnt in any was mean that i abandoned it or that it wont be finished (i have the intention, and enough support from my muses, to finish it), this will be a complete story (now, the question is only 'by when?'^^)

anyways..., i hope you enjoyed the chapter ^_^  
till next time, little lively loves ...(a little pun, care to guess where i got it from? XD)


	13. Chapter 12

sorry for being soooo late guyz ;_; ... i was kind occupied and time just flew by

here is the next chapter of Thee, so enjoy people ... ^^__

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

Quite a strong gust of wind blew past her and lifted up the long strands of her hair. They played gently in front of her face until she decided it was enough and tucked them behind her ear.

She sighed lightly and lifted her head up to gaze at the waning moon. It seems lonely up there, so far up in the sky. It is by far the biggest and most bright object in the night skyline, thus it seems alone. It looks alone, nothing else is anywhere near it, the only things discernable besides it are the faint stars so far, far away. At least, that's what it seems like from their viewpoint.

And their viewpoint is wrong, or at least misgiving. After all, where do they live? From where can they look up at the moon? The moon's companion is the very planet that nourishes them all. Well, it's better said that the Moon is Earth's companion, not the other way around. Though, she recons that they wouldn't mind. Always they are together, orbiting each other, like lovers.

Forever locked in each other's pull. And never lonely. Looking from one it might seem like the other one is alone, but it's not. Neither of them was alone since the moment both were born, Earth from rubble and dust, Moon from Earth's rubble and debris.

And just like that a person might seem alone, might even think himself as alone, but he is not.

Her gaze lowered from the sky and pinpointed right on a particular dark-haired, white-clad figure a little distance away. For as long as she exists Kaname is not alone, for as long as she may exist Kaname will never be alone. She is his and will forever be, she will always be by him and share his destiny.

He glanced back and their eyes locked. Now, the only thing left is to make him see it. She sighed; knowing his hard-headed tendency to always gravitate towards despair and self-reproach it'll take some convincing. She blushed, maybe some convincing like what transpired in her room. She could still feel his lips against her own, bringing her hand up she gently brushes them.

Well, it was surprising to find him right inside her room when they should be sleeping. And, of course, there was no mistaking the pure need in his eyes, and it was not the need for blood. It was a need for her, for her company, for her to be there for him. she could relate, it wasn't that long ago that she needed him in much the same way. She didn't even stop needing him. She still craves him, her wish to have him by herself hasn't diminished.

He turned a bit in her direction to look at her fully, the curious light in his eyes was clearly visible to her, even from this far away. She blushed even further, his brows raised up a tiny little bit, the corners of his mouth lifted up minutely. Both of those actions were almost invisible, she was the only one who noticed.

That knowledge didn't help her though, she was absolutely, positively sure that he had an inkling of what she was feeling and thinking about. Although there was a confused and indecisive part of him showing in his eyes too. He didn't seem to know what to do and how to react.

By the time she managed to break eye-contact and whirl around she was sure her face could have been a miniature sun. There could even be tiny planets orbiting around her, she couldn't tell anymore.

The only thing occupying her mind was, was... her forwardness when she dragged him onto her bed.

Yuuki captured her head in her hands and crouched down into an erect ball, her face was going into supernova by now. As she was shrieking in her head most of her working brain shut down, then everything else blacked out.

She stood like that for several moments, her mind a complete blank. Even the most stubborn of the humans surrounding her turned to look what's wrong. Kaname too took a few steps towards her to have a better look and see what's bothering her.

Their reactions were clear. They never saw anyone, besides giddy human girls, who acted like her. And she wasn't a human girl.

As her brain began to restart rational thought entered her mind once again. The memory of what she was thinking about came after that, then all rational thought left for the second time.

She squirmed and stood up, took a few steps and then curled up into a standing ball with feet again.

Most of the eyebrows in the crowd shot right up at the display, in fact, only Kaname was without a palpable reaction. This girl goes beyond what even a hyper human girl would do, she is in a league of her own. A man in the crowd snorted.

Yuuki didn't know about anything else besides her and the burning memory.

What had gotten into her? She had only ever acted like that here, in this time. Who knows; maybe it's because he seems even more lost here than in the future. Or maybe it's because this Kaname doesn't like her, at least not nearly as much as her oniisama. She feels lost when he doesn't like her. He managed to spoil her all over again during the last year. She doesn't know anything else besides him as her vampire self. She_ needs_ him to love her.

Perhaps she gets more courage out of the knowledge that he will be hers at one point. Or is it just that she can't function without his affection so she tries to get it with the only way she knows how to. With showing him how she feels.

She will embrace and heal him in much the same way he did her. She will earn his love and respect and try to give and pay back every little thing he did for her. Though, repaying it in full is almost impossible, he has done so, so much for her. Now, she has to do something for him.

Ok, so now she has calmed down and relaxed, her brain has worked through... the blush took charge of her face once again. She nestled her head deep into her arms, out of every possible sight.

She had never been so aggressive in the showing of affection before. Could it be that her subconsciousness decided that she should take charge when Kaname didn't seem to do it (as he usually does). It was almost instinctive; kiss him, show him that you are there and will always be there for him, show that you care and keep him close. She didn't seem to have a choice, she didn't know if she even wanted a choice.

It was almost like some deep part of her, like her purely vampire self took control. Well, not complete control, rather malted into her and guided her. She still chose to do it. Yes, she chose to do it. Now is not the time to doubt and regret.

She doesn't regret what she did, it obviously helped Kaname in a way and made him, at least a little, more secure in her and her presence..

She peeked through a small opening in her arms to search for him, and spotted his long legs a few meters to her side.

It was nice to see him surprised once in a while, a smug little smile played at her lips, though he paid her back later after all.

The way he just gave into her and melted to her lips so completely is really gratifying, it makes her warm and proud inside. Curious to see how something as small and simple as that could lift her spirits and urge her on so much. Oniisama really has a lot of affect on her. Though, she should stop acting like a madwoman right about now.

Her bout of insanity slowed the group down, stopped them right in their tracks in fact. Better get up soon, she really doesn't want to be a nuisance and someone they have to look after.

She looked up and immediately spotted the smug look on the face of the friendly girl. She grinned wider when their gazes crossed, her eyes gleamed with a knowing light.

Yuuki blushed bright (again) remembering the incident. The girl pulled her eyebrows up grinning even wider than before, her face was in serious danger of being ripped apart. Some of the other hunters glanced inquisitively between the two, sniffing out that something was up. They couldn't wait to figure out what.

Steam could have blown from Yuuki's ears by the time she hid her face again. Burying the beat-red thing in her arms she struggled with the memories of her awakening just a few hours prior. She tried to hold them back.

It probably wouldn't be half that bad if the girl hadn't been smug in the 'I knew it. I just knew it.'' Kind of way. And of course if she herself wasn't so terribly shy. To be so shy is just wrong for a pureblood,... but it was embarrassing.

Especially since the two of them were in her room. She can just imagine the implicating thoughts going through the girl's head. To make it worse some of them are probably true.

She groaned. The girl chuckled.

* * *

A calming scent, a really pleasant scent. It calls her. She knows it. She knows who it belongs to, she belongs to him too. His scent, he himself is the only thing she would be able to recognize anywhere and everywhere.

A small smile played across her sleeping lips. Kaname.

He is there, in her arms. Even through the firm clutches of sleep she knows that he is with her, she can feel his warmth.

His presence, forever soothing to her, if a bit colder than what she is used to, is still right there beside her. It makes her want to reach out to him all the more. She wants to always hold on to him, to always have him in her embrace.

She makes the move to nuzzle his head and his hair tickles her nose. Puffing air through her half-closed lips to get rid of the pesky strands she pulls him closer to herself and rubs her cheek on the top of his head. She's still sleeping.

His arms tightened around her as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. A long breath, almost like a sigh but not quite, ghosts over her skin caressing it with its gentleness.

That little act woke her up, he was _cuddling_ with her. Raising her hand from the back of his shoulder she lightly trails the back of her fingers over his cheek.

She felt the familiar pang of hunger. He is so close. But she can't take from him now. He wouldn't understand the reason for it yet. She is sure that he would let her drink, but she can't act that spoiled. She won't be that spoiled. She needs to look out for him, to care for him, to move by_ his_ pace. There is no room for satisfying her own urges, she can't be that selfish.

Her hand leaves his cheek to hold her throat. She closes her eyes and waits for the worst to pass, hoping that he won't wake up now.

It takes some time, but the hunger starts to fade bit by bit. She concentrated on his slow breath, inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale... Soon his rhythmic breathing makes her feel sleepy again.

After a while his body stiffened as he woke up and his head lifted from her neck to look into her eyes. When she found his searching gaze it was clearly visible that he is confused and doesn't know what to do, nor what to think.

Her heart reached out to him, she too had been in his shoes when she had just been woken up as a vampire again. To find out that what you always wanted, but thought you could never have, is actually yours, and always has been, is a shock beyond most. No one would know what to do and how to react after a discovery like that.

It's funny to see how their roles were reversed though.

They stared at each other for some time, both slow and still influenced by sleep. Then Kaname leaned down and bumped his head on hers. He closed his eyes and sighed. His hand came up halfway, as if he wanted to caress and cup her face, but then it stopped.

He started to turn and back away but was stopped by Yuuki's arms. She felt his absence before he even moved, and immediately, instinctively, encircled her arms around him and trapped him to herself.

She tightened her hold on him and put one hand on his cheek to forcibly make him look directly at her. He complied silently, giving himself up to her again. The beginnings of tears started to form at the corners of her eyes as she looked straight at him.

His own eyes widened and breath hitched, the stab of pain hitting him at the sight of her tears was unexpected. He wondered what made her tears form. Did she not want him here? But her actions were too confusing and contradictory for that thought to be true. He doesn't know what to do, that has become a regularity for him with this girl.

''Don't pull away.'' she uttered and kissed him full on the lips. His eyes widened again in surprise. Soon, though, he relaxed.

He let go. Every thought, every doubt, every fear, he let go of them all. There was only Yuuki in this moment, only her. She gave him everything he ever craved for with a kiss, s single kiss. How strange it sounds, but still true.

All too soon they pulled apart, their breath mingled in the little space between them. He was still a little surprised at her forwardness, but overlooked it.

''As you wish.'' he sighed.

She blinked once, twice, three times. A smile broke on her face and her mouth opened to say ...

Bang, bang-bang-bang, bang...

''Hey! Wake up! It's late! Really, really late! How long are you going to sleep?'' the loud voice of a specific hunter girl boomed through the closed door.

This time both of them blinked. Her arms fell back down to her sides.

Bang, bang.

''HEY!''

WHAM...

The door crashed open, probably indented the wall too. She strode in. ''We can't find Kaname-san either, it's like he fell off of the face of the earth. Seriously. And now you..'' the rest of the sentence froze on her lips.

It was like someone flipped a switch and she turned to stone. Her mouth formed a perfect –o-, eyes as wide as plates. Seconds ticked by and no one stirred in the room. Shock gripped them and kept all three in place, epitome of unmoving statues.

Slowly though, the girl began to breathe again. A gleam entered her eyes and the corners of her lips ticked upwards while the rest of her mouth was still forming an o. It was a hilarious sight. Yuuki would have laughed senseless at her expression had she still not been affected by the grips of shock.

Kaname righted himself and stood up from the bed, with a sigh he turned towards the girl. He was expressionless, but she would give her left arm if he wasn't, even a little, annoyed at her interference. Though, even now, Yuuki didn't move.

By then most of the girls face was made out of a grin. ''Well, well, WELL..'' she wagged her eyebrows. NOW, Yuuki snapped out of her blank state and blushed furiously. She fidgeted embarrassedly.

He looked sideways at her. She caught his eye and twitched.

The grin went impossibly wider at the scene ''Mhmm, what do we have here?'' she sniggered and winked at Yuuki. The poor pureblood dove under the covers with a squeal. She was just a huge lump on the bed now. Kaname's head turned fully towards her, he raised an eyebrow at the shaking hill of blankets and one corner of his mouth turned (microscopically) up.

''You could have told us that you wanted some time alone.'' The girl said as she started to lightly backtrack out of the room. Her smile spread until it almost ate up her whole head.

Yuuki squirmed.

''We would have been delighted to delay the outing for a few extra hours. You two lovebirds... '' Yuuki shot out of bed.

She tried to hold everything in, but her face turned red. She continued as Yuuki came closer ''could have ha-''

SLAM...

The door closed in front of her face.

Yuuki leaned on it, shaking. Her face was the perfect shade of red. Deafening laughter was heard on the on the other side of the door. She slid down it and landed on her butt.

Minutes passed by and still the girl guffawed. Yuuki put her head in her hands and groaned.

''I'll never hear the end of it now.''

She could hear the young hunter begin to walk off, still laughing.

Chuckling was heard within the room too. Strange. She peeked through her fingers to see Kaname laughing lightly, with his eyes closed.

Grumbling deep in her throat he pointed fiercely at him ''Why are you laughing? That was embarrassing.'' He opened his eyes and calmly gazed at her, his breath a little shaky. The corners of his mouth were turned heavenward. His head tilted invisibly to the side in question.

Yuuki caught it and blushed more. Puffing air angrily through her nose she folded her arms over her chest and pouted. Averting her eyes to stare at the deep red curtains she told ''She will go off now and blab to all. Knowing her for all of two days I can already figure out what she'll say. Urrrgh, why do people have to be such butt-ins.''

Kaname laughed again, this time taking a few steps towards her.

She snapped her head to him and narrowed her eyes. Glaring with blushing cheeks made her look adorable, he couldn't help himself. He closed the remaining distance with two strides and knelt to her level.

The embarrassed fierceness left her and she just looked at him with shy fascination. He took her hand with both of his and rubbed it. He brought it up to his forehead and pressed her palm there. Closing his eyes as another wave of unexpected content overcame him he uttered ''Why do you care about what she says?''

It took her a while to react. He opened his eyes to see what's wrong. Her eyes were dazed, locked on the spot where her hand touched his skin. To snap her out of it he lifted her hand up from his head and held it in his own.

She blinked, blushed and sighed ''Because I don't want people to get the wrong idea. Especially since she obviously did. They always jump to conclusions.''

She was right, but it didn't help against the sudden pang in his heart. Does she mean that she doesn't want to have anything to do with him? But then why does she act this way? What does she want?

His grip on her hand tightened. Whatever she does or doesn't want doesn't matter to him now. He had decided to give himself to her. He will follow what ever she may wish to do with him. Though, mind and heart are different. The heart doesn't know he has already accepted everything, it can't help but hurt at the thought of rejection.

He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. ''Does it matter that much to you if they think wrong… about us?'' his fingers gripped harder. He couldn't endure the thought that she was just playing with him. Still, he controlled his expression.

She looked at him for a long while. Sighing she smiled and opened her mouth to reply.

But he stopped her. He didn't want to know, he couldn't bear to know yet.

So he kissed her. She made a sound that resembled a surprised yelp, he wasn't sure anymore. Only her lips, that's the only thing he knew.

They separated and he opened the door to go out. ''What?'' he heard her ask confusedly. Glancing back he was a little elated to see her all red again, though it didn't show on his face. It's an amazing feeling to know that he affected her like that.

The door closed as he chuckled.

* * *

Mean. Everybody here is mean.

Yuuki thought just that as she gripped her head for the nth time, her face an impressive imitation of a tomato for who-knows-which time too. And to think that Kaname would tease her like everyone else.

She grumbled through her nose and stood up, glaring at the amused girl.

The said girl fought not to melt at the adorable sight of the blushing vampire with narrowed eyes. Right now she seemed the farthest thing from dangerous there is, farther than even a bumbling little chick.

''Is something wrong?'' she melodically inquired instead of pinching the cute red cheeks just within reach. Someone behind her snorted, again.

Yuuki huffed angrily, blushed some more and pointed at her. ''You are evil.'' She accused.

Some people around them tensed at the accusation. The girl, however, laughed loudly. Most of the humans around her just stood and gaped. She was laughing so hard that her knees wobbled.

However, Yuuki wasn't paying attention to her. She had felt something a second ago, something that feels like a presence of another pureblood. She can't locate it now though. A glance to the side reveals that Kaname is also staring at the distance. He probably felt it too, most likely knowing more about it than she does.

Even if it's gone now she can't shake away the cold feeling that suddenly took over her. It's like she is being watched, almost the same sensation as when Rido watched her. She shudders involuntarily. Well, there is no need to think about that now. But, still…

''Really?'' a voice breaks through her thoughts. She turns around to see the girl propping herself up against a sour-faced looking guy. He has a scar on his head. ''And why am I evil?'' she grinned.

Yuuki blinked, once, twice, and remembered. She blushed again. ''Hmhgmm'' grumbling she averted.

''I didn't tell anyone what I saw.'' She defended. Curiosity raised people turned to her to try to find out what they're talking about. Yuuki's eyes widened, she looked at the girl in shocked disbelief. ''Not _yet_, at least.''

Silence…..

''Evil.'' Yuuki muttered as she whirled around and stalked off. The girl laughed and tried to catch up, the group started moving again.

Walking side by side the girl tried to compose herself enough to have a… seemingly normal conversation. That means no laughing at everything the gentle vampire does. Tricky, considering that she is just fun to tease. Her expressions don't help the task either.

The rest of the group fell in step behind them, watching silently and intently. Kaname too was looking, but only at Yuuki. She didn't behave like a vampire, and yet she was one. They were all confused as to how to treat her.

She is gentle and kind, but has more than enough potential to be dangerous. She is dignified and aware of everything around her and yet acts all carefree. She draws them all in, even though they know what she is. And that scares them.

But unlike them, Kaname already passed and felt all that. He had moved on, he had accepted her. Just like she immediately wholeheartedly accepts everything that comes to her.

She even allows them all to tease her.

How is it possible for someone like her to exist?

''AH'' thump…..

Everyone stopped and stared. Yuuki had just slipped on something and fell on her butt. For a few seconds no one did anything. Well, except Yuuki, she got up and brushed herself off. Her face getting its (now trademark) red colour back.

There was stone silence.

Then the young hunter girl crashed to the ground with roaring laughter. She curled up into a ball and shook with the force. The rest followed her example and chuckled.

Yuuki turned cherry red with embarrassment and turned her back on all of them. A shoulder came into her line of sight as someone stopped in front of her. Surprised she looked up to see who it belongs to. Her eyes trailed up to a beautiful pale neck and then to a truly gorgeous face. Kaname smiled faintly down on her.

''Are you alright?'' he asked and took a stray of her hair between his fingers.

Hearing his voice calmed her down. Her expression relaxed. She placed a hand on his and smiled up at him ''Yup, just clumsy as always. It's hardly anything to worry about.'' Her eyes turned a little distant ''Besides, it's not like I would have been hurt seriously.''

He understood what she meant. After all, it's not like a fall could kill them or make any significant damage. Sighing he reached up and tucked a few strands behind her ear. ''You should still be careful and look after yourself.'' He looked at her wistfully and turned around, continuing on their path.

She stayed in place, watching his back as he walked. He has a big burden, one that is difficult and hard to carry. She wants him to let her in and share it with her , but he is as unknowingly stubborn as ever. Yet she can't help but feel like he would do anything for her if she only asked him. Even now, when he doesn't love her as much, she gets the feeling that he would gladly listen to her. He may have started falling in love with her, if he wasn't in love already.

Humans who were eager to get moving again passed her and followed Kaname. Some had raised their eyebrows and glanced at her sideways when passing. Some just coughed to hide their smiles. Everyone was surprised and amused at the display of caring Kaname just made, they have never seen him as attentive to someone like he is to Yuuki. It's obvious that there is something going on between them.

''Ahem.'' Someone coughed behind her. Yuuki instantly knew who it was and groaned.

''That was quite a show of clumsiness from you.'' She smirked. ''Where did you learn to walk? If you manage to slip on nothing in particular, how can we expect you to keep your balance when we need you?'' she added snickering. She opted to be merciful and not bring up Kaname. ...Yet.

''I didn't slip on nothing.'' Yuuki defended as she whirled around ''There was something under my foot.''

The hunter started walking ''Sure, sure.'' She repeated, not believing a word.

Yuuki's eyes narrowed at the girl, but she said nothing.

''Where are we going?'' she asked instead.

''To a place where we heard there are a lot of vampires who attack humans. They could be a…'' she glanced at her ''well, someone who is biting and turning humans there. There are a lot of casualties, so we are going there to…'' she trailed off, not knowing how to put it.

Yuuki sighed ''You can tell me openly, I'm not as delicate as you might think'' she smiled wryly, remembering Rido ''We are going there to kill them, right?''

Those people closest to them who heard what they were talking about turned to her in surprise and astonishment. Yes, maybe they thought she was too fragile or sensitive for a talk like that, but still… They never expected her to be this blunt about it.

And she counted herself in amongst them, the 'we' was clearly heard.

Kaname was surprised as well. His hearing is much better so he could hear them easily even up in front. He didn't think Yuuki was this accepting of the fact that they would kill. She gave off the feeling of a person who doesn't want to harm anyone. But there was something in her voice, something that sounded like she had done it before.

It was then that he realised that there was more to Yuuki than what meets the eye. She, herself, was a mystery. Everything about her was strange, a lot about her unknown. He found himself wanting to know her, all about her. He glanced back to see her looking directly at him.

''Um, yes.'' The girl agreed. She suddenly felt like she was talking to someone far more powerful than her. In her eyes there was nothing laughable about the vampire walking beside her now. She fully realised that she'd been thinking of her as a child, not someone equal. A big mistake on her part.

''So, when are we going to get there? I'd be grateful if it was before dawn, the sunlight is a bit harsh on my eyes.'' she smiled gently at the girl, understanding the direction of her thoughts.

The tension left her body as she saw that smile. Somehow she knew that Yuuki wouldn't harm them. ''Soon.''

* * *

finished... sorry again people, i was a little preocupied with other things so the chapp is late :S

one of the reasons for the lateness is my new fic, i started writing it two weeks ago so it took some time away from Thee... well, its called _The last Rose_ (i reffer to is as Rose for short... kinda like Thee for this fic) you're all welcome to read it ... although only one chapp is up (but still, i'm quite proud of it ^^)

ohhh... and another thing **IMPORTANT: **would you like me to give some people names so that i dont refer to them as just 'that girl' or 'young hunter' and such (if Yes than please give me some ideas ... i'm REALLY bad with names)... or should I continue like this ?

hope you enjoyed reading, love ya'll  
~lily


	14. Chapter 13

here's another chapter, though a shorter one than usual (and the usuals keep getting larger and larger, first they were under a 1000 wordies and now well over 3000... i'm proud to say that i'm getting better and better)

enyoj reading people ^^  
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Thee, buried in the past

''No!'' _and that's final._ Yuuki glared at her.

The girl chuckled and turned away. After directing the two, now sniggering, hunters to the sleeping wing she whirled back expectantly. ''And why not?''

''Because I don't want to.'' She said, walking away. Her goal was the table on the other side of the room, or more accurately, the delicious looking piece of fruit currently situated on it. Her mouth watered at the sweet aroma wafting through the air, she will ravish every bite. First, she needs to get to it before anyone else does.

Her plans were thwarted when a smirking face placed itself between her and her awaiting prize. She glowered at the person so meticulously determined to annoy her. Not wanting to be outdone she puts her expressionless mask on, being a pureblood again she more than knows how to pull it off perfectly, and stares the little wannabe loudmouth down.

The other occupants momentarily in the room watch in amusement as the two girls stand completely still for a couple of minutes. Though, they've got to hand it to the girl, being the focus of that expression is not easy. But they suppose she is immune to it after dealing with Kaname-san. More importantly, how is that goofball able to be so expressionless, and so flawlessly at that.

Finally, not being able to stand the suspense any longer, the girl caves and asks ''And why don't you want to?''

She grins as a miniature vein starts to pulse on Yuuki's forehead, she'll get her answer now. Giving up the fight and leaning precariously to the side, Yuuki tries to assess how to best get her yummy mouthful.

She glowers and pulls the vampire upright again. Dumbfounded at the calm and blank look on the girls face she tries to compose herself again. Leaning in so that her nose was only a few inches from hers she tries again ''Why don't you want to?''

Yuuki pursed up her lips and stared beyond her at her goal. ''Because it is none of your business.'' She glanced at her, fain colour starting to seep onto her cheeks.

She grinned again after seeing that, she'll get it out of her soon enough. Yuuki looked past her again and started to move, a millisecond later she was bolted into place by two hands clutching her shoulders. Prying her eyes up she sees the glint in the girl's eyes, _not good._

Gulp.

''Really?'' she smirks, _trap set._ ''And why ever not?'' It will be fun to see if she will be able to get out of this one.

Yuuki glared at her once again. Squirming under her hand she somehow manages to unlock her grip. ''Because it simply isn't.'' She replied and added, doubling her glare ''And you didn't have to ask for it in front of other people.'' _Especially every hunter in here, not to mention the two that ran off._

She was past her in an instant, eyes on her prize. That sour-faced man is getting precariously close to her target, he must be intercepted before she finds herself without her food. Years of battling ferocious day class girls taught her to pick up someone's objective in a second, not to mention to react fast. No one but her will get _her_ orange.

The grin only widened as she glanced back at the unsuspecting pureblood. Poor girl, there is no escaping it now. _The little fish has hooked onto the bait._ Her grin turned sadistic for a split second.

''And what is wrong in simply wanting to find out what happened to have Kaname-san in your room the whole afternoon and early evening?''

Yuuki stopped like she'd rammed headfirst into a brick wall. All movement ceased in the room, some objects fell from numbed hands. She whirled around faster than noticeable by any eye and stared, shocked, into the innocent expression on the girl.

Seconds passed and no one even breathed. Suddenly Yuuki's face became beat red and she stomped over to the girl. ''Because it's EMBARRASSING.'' She said through gritted teeth.

Eyes widened, sharp breaths were taken in, some knees buckled, but the grin became impossibly wider. A glint entered her eyes.

''Ah, really.'' Twinkle, twinkle ''And what could have happened for it to be embafffafighn-'' a hand latched onto her mouth, threatening to never let go. Yuuki's glaring eyes narrowed in warning. Her other hand grabbed her arm and started pulling, dragging her along.

The stunned hunters stared wide-eyed as they made their way out of the room. The sour-faced guy shook his head in mild disgust as they came closer and turned to pick up that orange. Two centimetres before his fingers grazed its rugged surface the fruit suddenly disappeared. He blinked once, twice, and craned his head in all directions in search for the fugitive.

Little did he know that a few meters away, in the dark hall echoing with laughter, something distinctly orange shone in Yuuki's hand.

She blushed from the root of her hair to the collar of her uniform. Really, how can someone go and blab about someone else's private things without a care in the world. She knew humans were notorious gossipers, she was once one after all. But to tell something so personal to a room full of people, most of who wouldn't hesitate to kill her, and keep a straight face while at it... evil.

Well all right, onii-sama is a bit like that (probably why she likes the girl), he can pull it off though. It makes him even more appealing in her eyes, he is somewhat of her opposite.

The same trait is not charming on the girl, it's downright irritating and embarrassing. She blushed some more. But to let it _''slip'' _in front of so many others, unforgivable.

She glanced back at the chuckling girl. Said girl winked at her and resumed laughing her butt off. She turned back to the front and glowered at the wall, carpet, windows (or as it happens, the curtains on them) and just about everything else in her vision field. She was sure that, once again, she could comfortably replace the sun with her face.

There is nothing in her vicinity she could take her anger out on, the orange didn't even last 2.3 seconds. Its remains are now resting securely in her belly.

Now the task at hand is to find an empty room for the showdown.

Fine, if she wants to know what happened, then so be it. But she wouldn't be Yuuki if she didn't put up some fight as well. And besides, does she really have to know what is going on between the two of them. She doesn't seem like the type to fall in love with someone like Kaname; she suspiciously glanced back. The girl was wearing a smug smirk on her face. _Nope, definitely not in love._ Probably just one of those nosy people who like butting into other people's lives, kinda like Aidou-sempai.

She blushed a little bit, remembering some distinct instances of sempai's curiosity. Shaking her head to get rid of the vivid memories she rounds on a door. Pushing it open instantly she dragged the girl in and slammed the door behind them.

The room vas empty save for a single table aligned with a wall. The door looked pretty solid so only a vampire's acute hearing could pick up on what they would be talking about.

And she knows for a fact that Kaname is on the opposite end of the house, she can feel him there. Actually, no one is present in this part of the hideout, nor is anywhere near here.

_Good, because this is going to be awkward. For me at least._ She mentally groaned. Taking in a deep breath she turned around and faced her interrogator.

The girl had an easy smile on her face, most likely knowing that she'll get her information soon. The curiosity of some people is just unstoppable.

It's unusual to see Kaname-san showing any kind of emotion. And in only a day or two she managed to get that deep under his skin. They can all see how much she influences him and his actions. It's like he's more alive, like she pulled him up from a deep hole. He can really care and show it, he is in fact capable of warm feeling towards another living being. He had actually smiled at her, no one thought the day would come when the world would see that. to say that they were surprised would be an understatement, the shock still hasn't worn off.

Not that she doesn't understand what happened. Seeing the girl in front of her, she can comprehend, at least a little, how she managed to change him that much. It's quite clear that there is something more about her than meets the eye.

Well, she pretty obviously has pureness in her, that's probably what draws Kaname-san to her. True innocence is rare in this world and that is probably what he needs the most. She is his opposite, it's a well-known fact that opposites attract.

But a little light, almost an invisible one, in her eyes shows that she knows how the world works, what it's really like. And that is what makes this, most likely, the biggest miracle around, because she is able to stay so sweet and untainted despite knowing that darkness of this world.

Yuuki sighed ''You really are quite annoying, you know that?''

Brought back from her musings the girl grinned ''That's my specialty.''

Huffing, Yuuki went over to the table and promptly sat on it. She stared at the girl long and hard, trying to make her back down if she isn't serious. Finally, she caved ''Fine.''

The girl chuckled. Yup, yup, now she'll know everything she wants to. It's a shame that the vampire doesn't trust her a bit more, she wouldn't ask about absolutely everything, only as close to it as possible. She sauntered right up to Yuuki and stopped directly in front of her, a wide grin stretching her lips again.

Yuuki rolled her eyes and inhaled to address her. Before any word left her mouth though, she blinked and paused. Looking at the hunter with a bewildered expression she stammered ''You never told me your name.''

It was her turn to blink, getting over it quickly she smirked ''You never asked.''

Yuuki huffed again and grumbled something under her breath.

''That still doesn't answer my question.''

''Which question?''

Yuuki ground her teeth. Trying to be patient she elaborated ''What's your name?''

''Ah, that question.''

Yuuki glared at her. Raising her hands up in a peace gesture she gave ''Aya.''

Yuuki blinked again. _Colour,_ she smirked, _her name fits her perfectly_. Though, it would be interesting to find out which colour exactly. But that is a different matter.

''Now, enough about me. It's you and dear, sweet Kaname-san we came to talk about. Your behaviour is quite… interesting, wouldn't you agree?''

Yuuki groaned, slapping her forehead with her hand. Leave it to her to get into some of the most uncompromising situations. And of course, she just always has to be the target of the nosiest ones. Really, couldn't she get even one thread of good luck in there kinds of situations.

''Let's begin.'' Aya went on, levelling an expectant stare at her ''Why do you care so much about Kaname-san?''

Yuuki stared at her blankly. This wasn't exactly the question she was anticipating. She was awaiting something about their intimacy and prying for juicy details. This caught her completely off guard, she doesn't know how to respond.

Reading the silent stare she dislodged ''From the very beginning you have shown remarkable affection towards Kaname-san and I, we are not sure how to take it. Everyone is confused by how easily you interact with him and show your feelings to him. It was more than obvious at first that Kaname-san didn't know you, yet you act like you've been with him your whole life, like you're safe with him. Every thing you do practically screams the fact that you know him both inside and out. You're so sure and centred around him, so at peace. Everything about you indicates that you care deeply about him. Why do you care so much? How?''

Yuuki sighed, she can't exactly tell her the whole truth, now can she? Though, there is only one true answer to that question, and one that she is not afraid to give. ''I love him.''

Aya nodded, that was already expected and highly probable. She just confirmed it. But the next important question is how, she had not explained that.

''But how? How can you love him if you never met him before now? What you tell is almost impossible, things don't work like that. There must be more to it than what've you told.''

Perceptive. There is little that passes _her_ by. But she can't tell the truth, she mustn't. For one, she would be thought of as insane and no one would believe her, thus making everything difficult. And for two, even if she did believe her she might act differently and change the future. No, she cannot tell her.

''I just love him, there is nothing more and nothing less.'' _True _

''But...'' Aya sighed, exasperated.

''More than that I can't tell you.'' she finished and looked the girl directly in the eyes, silently pleading for understanding.

Aya turned rigid for a few seconds, doubting Yuuki's loyalty and credibility in her mind. But the eyes that looked at her hid nothing sinister, they were sincere. She felt like she had no other choice but to believe the vampire. Nodding silently she chuckled, _it's like she's got me wrapped around her little finger._

''Fine then, next question''

In front of her Yuuki groaned inwardly, _and of course, there is more._

''How did you get Kaname-san to take to you so quickly?''

Both of Yuuki's eyebrows shot right up at this question, it almost sounded like she was jealous. Yes, she knows it's just out of curiosity, but still. She wagged her eyebrows suggestively at the hunter, teasing her a little.

''Mind out of the gutter.''

She chuckled a bit at that. Suuure, it was okay for them to tease _her_, but _she_ can't tease anyone. Now that's not really fair.

''I don't know. I was just myself, I guess?'' she remembered her unusual boldness and directness, blushing a little she added ''Well, _mostly_ myself, but the difference doesn't matter that much.''

''And why doesn't it matter?''

''...''

''So you don't wanna tell?''

''...''

''Or is it that you don't know yourself?''

''!'' Yuuki flinched and looked quickly to the side.

_Bingo._ Aya smiled to herself. So she doesn't know how Kaname-san managed to accept her so quickly. It is rather astounding how rapidly he has embraced her in his heart._ Heck, none of us is even close to nicking the barrier he has erected around it. And she shattered it within a day._ That's one amazing girl.

''Well, anyway.'' Yuuki's head turned back towards her ''What _were_ the two of you doing in that room before I came?'' Yuuki blinked slowly ''Or were you there all day?''

In a second Yuuki's face turned a colour redder than blood, steam could have blown from her ears. She covered her face with her hands and groaned, loudly.

So, she was going to ask this question after all. She should've known, there is no way a nosy butt-in would leave something as juicy as this untouched, no.

''Are you going to answer me or not?''

''...''

''I really can't hear you?''

''...''

''I'm not just gonna let this one slide.''

''...''

''How about a different approach?''

_''__...''_

''Fine then, maybe I'll just ask Kaname-san.''

''Ok, fine, I'll tell you.'' Yuuki shot up. She glowered at the girl before sighing in defeat. Aya, for her part, looked smug. _This girl is too easy to tease._

''We were sleeping.'' She divulged slowly and honestly.

Aya blinked and fought not to burst out laughing. Ok, sure, by the serious look on her face it's probably true that they were sleeping. But that doesn't explain what they were doing before they went to sleep, or why Kaname-san was there either. Oh, she was _not_ going to leave this alone.

''And how did Kaname-san get to sleep there, with you?'' she smirked when Yuuki blushed at the innuendo. _Oh ho ho, maybe she is not as purely innocent as we may have originally thought._

Bringing her hands up in defence she squealed ''We did nothing like what you are thinking about.''

Smirk growing wider she almost purred ''And how would you know what I was thinking?''

Blush going deeper Yuuki turned her back on her and continued her previous thought ''When I woke up I just found Kaname already there.''

With her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline she looked at the vampire in astonishment. Kaname-san had, himself, without any persuasion or prior arrangement, out of his own accord come to her, alone. Staggering information, and an action of such importance and magnitude, and she doesn't even comprehend it. How dense is she, or is it something else. She seems used to it, like he did this countless of times. But they've just met and... ugh, her head started to hurt now, better leave this ridiculous train of thought.

''O...kay, and then what happened?'' she was eager to hear what came after that.

Yuuki swallowed and raised her head to stare at the ceiling ''Then we kissed.''

Thump.

Yuuki glanced back to see what made that sound. Sure enough Aya was on the floor on her butt, staring at her with a dazed expression. She sighed and decided to help her off the floor.

The next millisecond with a shout of ''WHAT!'' she was turned around and two hands lay clutching her shoulders.

Yes, Aya knew they had kissed, she had thought that happened. She was sure that happened, had anyone asked her she was positive she would've risked her left arm to state that they kissed. And yet, being told that that really happened, she is still truly, utterly shocked beyond belief. Maybe the world is ending after all.

''How? What? When? What was it like? What did you feel? How was he?...'' she droned on and on with the questions.

Inwardly, Yuuki groaned. _Oh, this is going to be a looooooong night._

* * *

Done, at least this chapter ;), Aya means colour (well, the kanji it's written with means colour), kinda apropriate, dun ya think ? ;)

uh, and i just remembered, i miss-spelled the title of my new fic in the last chap ... its The lost Rose (not The last Rose) silly me

if you have any complaints about anything dint hesitate to voice them! ^^

oh, and school ends on thursday so i'll have two weeks of winter break, hopefully i'll update a bit more during that time

love ... ~lily


	15. Chapter 14

woah... now this was a quick update (very very quick;) )

enjoy... XD

oh, and i ALWAYS forget to say this: _I don't own Vampire Knight, it all belongs to Hino-sensei_

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**_Thee, buried in the past_**

_Slam._

The door closed shut with a definite bang. Yuuki slid down, panting heavily. Her hand was still gripping the doorknob and preventing it from any possible movement. And gods knew how hard the person on the other side was trying to open it, at times like these it truly pays to have pureblood vampire strength.

And why is she currently in this predicament? Surely she wouldn't partake in anything that would cause her to have to run away, or to pant in that manner. But, as it so happens, she has and is now regretting every minute of it.

Realizing that the knob won't budge no matter how much it was rattled, the person on the other side of the door started to bang on it. Violently.

Unaffected, Yuuki was planning her miraculous escape, with no traces left behind. You see, she needed to get away, now. Aya had been meticulous about each and every detail, some of her questions she even outright refused to recall. Her body gives an involuntary shudder. The embarrassment had left her so worked up that she started panting. Never again will she be left alone in the same room as that manic girl; _that _she swore on every possible thing she could think of.

''Let me out! Let me out _right now_!'' the hunter banged on the poor door with even more vigour, everything in the vicinity shook. ''We're still not done discussing everything.'' A smugness could be detected in her voice. ''Hey! Open up this instant'' _bang, bang, bang ''_I'm not done with you.'' Her smirk could clearly be heard now.

And that made dear Yuuki snap. Twisting the poor abused doorknob into a mutant foreign body, she made sure that there would be some head-start for her cause. There is no way to open the door with it in that mutilated shape. And all she needed was just a couple of seconds, then there will be no catching her.

The instant she let go of the distorted metal her legs carried her faster than the wind. She didn't look where she was going, she didn't know where she was going, the only thing she cared about is how far she will go. She won't ever again fall into those gossiping clutches again, not if she can help it.

The wood corridors blurred past her, some humans lost their balance in the whirlwind as she zoomed by them. It took them a while to figure out what happened, by then Yuuki was already a good distance away. Most shook their heads muttering ''Strange vampire.''

She ran and ran, up and down countless stairs, over a lot of rails, between a jungle of people until she felt it safe to stop. Leaning against the wall she panted a little, this much running is barely enough to count as a workout for her. Most of her panting is from anxiousness. She stood still, trying to locate her dangerous target. There, she has escaped the locked door, but is not in pursuit of her. Her pace is slow and leisurely, aura calm and relaxed. It appears that she has let go of her mission... for now. Her goal seems to be the injury ward.

Yuuki allowed her shoulders to slump, she relaxed and leaned her weight on the wall for support. Looks like her ordeal is, at least momentarily, over. Tipping her head back she studied the deserted hall. This is the sleeping wing, not many would be here right now, especially since the sun just rose a few minutes ago. Actually, this is the upper most floor. If she remembered correctly, there are a few, old, unused libraries here. And the whole floor is for only her and Kaname, some of the hunters are still uneasy sleeping that near a pureblood, or two as the case may be. Their quarters are on the two floors below.

Hn, at least she doesn't have to worry about the girl being in the room next door. Though, she wouldn't put it past her to relocate herself up here. She shuddered again.

But seriously, does she have to know everything that happens between Kaname and her. That is their private matter and she has no place in it. Especially since Kaname is still raw. He is nowhere as centred as he is in the future, at least not in his feelings. Yes, his actions say that he began to care, even love, but a new emotion can easily be shattered. And she is _not_ about to do anything that can even remotely hurt him.

She has caused him such pain in the future, he will suffer so much because of her. She will not hurt him even more, no she will be his ray of hope. Even if she can't stay with him and traverse the long flow of time as his companion, she will give him something to hold onto. She will make sure that he survives to love again, to love _her _this time, so she can love him in return.

Though, now that she thinks about it, onii-sama never gave any indication that he knew her from before, that she'd come to him before. She is well aware that he can hide things well, but she would have felt something like this, she would have seen at least a small sign in him. There was nothing about her stay here in his eyes. It means that he had forgotten about what happened, but not by her power, she doesn't know how to cast a spell to make someone forget. That must mean that he had repressed this, blocked it in a corner of his mind to forget it. It makes her a little sad to know that he wanted to forget her, but she understands, the pain must have been too much. He didn't know what to do. Or is it that the magic that brought her here had erased his memory. It's possible, he was not supposed to know her until her birth, and this is clearly not her time of birth. Either way she will be with him until she must go back.

She pushed away from the wall and started walking towards her room, which was still quite a ways ahead. Yawning she fantasized about the comfortable embrace of her bed.

_Though, not as comfortable as being in onii-sama's arms_. A faint smile graced her lips. How gentle Kaname was with her, both the one here and her Kaname. Or could it be that _both_ are hers now.

She chuckled a bit at her silliness. They are the same Kaname, just living, existing in different times. Their similarities are uncanny, he hasn't changed at all during all those long years. He is still the kind, gentle person who will continue to embrace weaknesses for as long as he lives, forever on other words. And that's what she loves about him. She loves all of him, every nook and cranny, everything.

A lovely aroma wafted by her, she inhaled deep to catch as much as she can of the trace amounts of Kaname's scent. He had passed by here some time ago, the hall still carries his smell, the smell of his skin and the blood underneath it. A pang of hunger made itself known, just the thought of his blood makes her crave it. She should feel ashamed at how little time has passed since she last fed and she is hungry again. She had had a lot of blood, it should have made her comfortable for some time. but here she is now, hungering again. Thought the hunger is now that strong, at least for now.

Her head lifted as she took in more air, her eyes closing momentarily. She can feel him, he is somewhere on this floor, up ahead of her. The pain intensified at the thought of him so near, but she will not go to him. She will not act like a spoiled child. He spoils her too much.

She often wonders how someone so beautiful and strong can be hers. He was hers since the moment she was born, how right it sounds, how fitting. And yet, a small part of her still stands in wonder at how amazing that is. Most of her life she had deemed him unreachable, and in a second everything turned upside down, her thoughts have been proven wrong. He was hers, and she was his. _Forever._

He gave her everything, everything he is. He allows her to take anything from him, even his life he put in her hands. How can he love her that much? How can she live him that much? She knows that anything and everything he gave her she would take without hesitation. Be it pain, or suffering, or death, she would accept it all from him. And he would do the same for her.

Even now, in this time, when he barely knows her, she can sense that he would do the same. She can sense that he has started to love her, she can see that he would accept anything from her. His eyes, the same as those that she knows so well, tell her of his feelings, some of which he had probably not realized himself.

And the fact that she will leave him when he'll need her the most and thus cause him pain and suffering, rips her apart. She can't handle the knowledge that she will be the one to cause him such pain, again. She almost wants to stay, but she knows she can't. This is not her place, and this Kaname would not be the one most hurt if she never wakes up. Maybe it would be for the best if he were to forget she ever came. She could live with him forgetting her, but can't live with his anguish.

Knowing him, he would wrap his arms around her and encourage her to go, masking his misery all the while. Sometimes he really is to kind for his own good.

But she would forgive him anything he does within a second. It's not in her nature to stay mad for a long time, and especially not at him. She would give anything to have his strong arms wrap around her and hold her close. To be in his embrace is what calms her the most, that is where she wants to be, that's where she belongs. Being near him is where she is the most happy, that is where she can freely be herself.

Her own arms almost ache to hug him, to draw him close to her, to hold on and never let go. She wants to always feel that he is real, to know that he will never leave her alone. It's his blood that she wants the most, it's his blood that has even a hope of sating her. The pain in her throat grows with each and every thought of him she has. She grind to a halt, one of her arms supporting her on the wall, the other holding her neck.

Closing her eyes his image immediately came to mind. His beautiful face looking directly at her, looking at only her. His white skin glistening in the moonlight and a small smile gracing his lips. Her mind's eye lowers her gaze to his neck. His beautiful pale neck, it calls her. Blood flows just under his ivory skin, only a little ways under the thin membrane. His rich, delicious blood.

''Ungh...'' Yuuki whimpered as the full force of her hunger hit her. It felt like being run over by freight train. She could barely stand upright, the weight of the pain crippling her. Removing her hand from the wall she lets it join the other one on her neck. With no support anymore her side crashes to the wall, using it to stay upright. Her eyes glow a fearsome red when they open to scan the hall. No one is near, and she needs it to stay that way until she gets to the safety of her room.

Pushing herself off the wall she started stumbling to the nearest door, her room is too far away now and she won't be able to go to it like this. After the hunger lets up she'll be able to go to bed. At this moment she needs a place wait this out.

Grasping the door handle with a little too much force she swung the door open violently. Quickly entering the room and slamming the door shut behind her, her legs gave out and she fell harshly to the floor. She pressed herself against the wall on her back and quickly glanced at the room before tightly closing her eyes shut. The room was a library, a pretty big library by the look of things. The heavy smell of dust penetrated her nostrils, indicating that it wasn't visited in a fairly long time. The seclusion was perfect, she doesn't need someone stumbling upon her in this state, especially not a hunter.

The intensity of the hunger doesn't get better as time passes. On the contrary, it seems that the more blood she takes the more she craves it. She is still surprised at herself, she just fed only a few days ago, and she took a lot, how can she be this hungry in such a short time.

_Kaname…_

The agony rippling through her body is almost unbearable, every cell in her is practically screaming for Kaname's divine blood. How can a person need, want somebody else this much. The sheer scale of her craving is almost mind-blowing.

_Kaname…_

She put an arm around her abdomen and used her free hand to once again cup her throat. The pain is growing stronger and stronger as time passes, it should be fading at least a little bit.

_Kaname…_

Her legs bent up until her knees are almost under her chin, she curled up further into a ball, panting a bit and resting her forehead on one knee. Her hunger only grew stronger and stronger, the wish for blood almost taking over her. She is a pureblood, so the need for blood won't overtake her rational side, but it is pressuring is quite a bit. She just needs to let it fade a little, endure until then.

_Kaname…_

''Ugh..'' Her arm left her torso as she winds her hand in her hair. Fisting a couple of locks in vain hope of lessening the agony, she started to pant even more. Something is got to give, and soon.

''Do you hunger that much?''

A voice startled her. A deep and calm voice, _his_ voice. She lifted her head up to see Kaname slowly walking towards her. He took in a deep breath the second her eyes opened and landed on him, probably surprised at seeing them glow blood red. His steps never falter though, each and every one as calm and secure as the previous. He had never expected to see her like this, only now does she look like a vampire to him.

She looked at him with glowing eyes, attentive to every move he made. He is the one person she didn't want here, and yet, the only person she needed. How contrary it sounds. She didn't want to use him, didn't want to be spoiled once again, still he came to her. He'd barely met her, there is no need for him to give her blood, but he would is he saw that she was craving and in hunger. So she wanted to keep him away, she didn't want to hurt him or abuse his newfound trust.

He came to a stop right in front of her, looking down with knowing eyes. She refused to answer the question, mostly because she didn't trust herself to speak. Closing her eyes she steeled herself for his tempting scent. The delightful aroma filled her nose and lungs, almost making her moan. Sinking her nails into her scalp for control she closed her eyes to block off the sight of him, hoping against hope that it'll help. It didn't.

A swish of clothing alerted Yuuki that he is now kneeling in front of her. She could feel the heat of his body even at this distance.

''Why didn't you tell anyone?'' he murmured.

She took air in through her mouth this time, not even wanting to risk it. Something cool touched her cheek and she opened her eyes in shock. Kaname's hand was lightly cupping the side of her face. His eyes shone with the light of compassion, a tiny rueful smile on his lips.

She closed her eyes again as another bout of pain hit her. Her hand fell from her throat and joined the other one on the top of her head. Panting, she responded ''To not bother you all.''

His hand left her face and wrapped around one of her wrists, pulling it down and holding it in the middle between them. The other one repeated the same action. She still refused to open her eyes. Sighing and relocating both of her wrists in one hand, the free one went forward and gently caressed Yuuki's cheek. She was trembling under his touch, neither knew if it was from the hunger or the contact.

''This is something natural.'' He breathed, remembering when he was the one doing this. His hand stilled and she opened her eyes, his own softened in response. ''You should have at least told _me_.''

Her jaw clenched slightly and she fought not to look away from his eyes. He was the one person who she should not have told, the one person who should not have seen her like this. Not _now_. Undoubtedly his nature will prompt him to give her blood. She wants his blood, but not out of pity.

''It doesn't matter.'' She gritted out, barely able to speak.

His fingers put a little pressure on her skin, he sighed. ''Of course it does.''

She closed her eyes again, trying to fight everything off with all her might. She was failing, she could feel it. Soon she might crack, he's so close.

''It's not healthy to deny yourself, especially since you're in this much pain.'' He continued. A finger gently brushed her closed eyelid, coaxing her to open her eyes and look at him. She did.

His face is eternally beautiful, like a statue carved from stone. Silky dark hair falling over kind wine eyes and high, strong cheekbones give him the look of a god. His mouth, his lips that kissed her, were set in a straight line. The only emotions visible were shown in his eyes, there only _she_ can read them. But she is going through too much of her own feelings to accurately track his.

''I can handle it.'' She let out.

''Not that I can see.'' He responded, now cupping her whole cheek into his palm.

Next her eyes fell to the perfect column of his neck. The pale ivory flesh hid a myriad of veins and arteries, all carrying his delicious blood. Against it, if you looked hard enough, you could see his pulse. His skin moved a tiny little fraction with his every heartbeat. It only served to increase her hunger. She could almost feel its smooth texture underneath her lips and the way he shivers and relaxes when she licks the place of her choice.

''Take my blood.'' He proposed.

''No.'' She looked away. Her eyes focused on a shelf of dusty old books as she fought her instincts. Her heart rejoiced when he offered his blood, but she can't accept it. He must stop offering himself soon or she'll cave.

Kaname looked at her as she tortured herself. His heart must have missed one heartbeat when she had refused him, that is the only explanation for the sudden pain in his chest. Why did she refuse him? He thought that she felt something for him, that she loved him, but why would she turn down his offer if that was the case. She would crave his blood if she loved him, she would take it if she could. He must admit that he was overjoyed at the thought that she hungered for him. He didn't know when, but he had at some point started to hope that she wanted him, similarly to the way he had started to crave her.

She had turned him down. Maybe it's not _his_ blood she needs. Maybe it's someone else she hungers for? The pain in his chest increased, almost unbearably. Then who else might she love? Was she only playing with him, only using him? He had told himself that it didn't matter either way, but he had not thought that it would hurt this much. His heart feels like it's shattering again. He had never felt such a strong wish to hope that his thoughts are proven wrong.

The pain only grows as long as she refuses to look at him. That action only serves to constrict his heart even more.

''Why not?'' he asked out of desperation. His heart called to her, begging her to look at him.

She doesn't seem to notice. Closing her eyes she sighed ''Because I can't.''

If possible, his pain increased. She can't drink from him, she doesn't want to. It's almost funny how much control she has over his heart already. Those simple words are all it took to practically rip the inside of his chest to shreds. And he wants her blood, he craves her blood, to a degree that it becomes astounding. He also craves her bite, he needs her to devour his blood. His essence already belongs to her.

_Look at me,_ his heart begged. Each and every second she refused to he found another stab of pain inflicted to his heart. Why is she so merciless now, after she had shown him how caring and loving she can be.

''Why?'' The question carried so many meanings behind it. His hand lowered from her face to her shoulder and rested there.

She opened her glowing eyes and gazed at the distant wall. Almost reluctantly she elaborated ''It's inappropriate.''

He was left confused. Inappropriate? Why would it be inappropriate? If she needs blood, and he gives it, why not take it?

She could sense his perplexed look. Sighing she added "You know what blood means to us?'' she looked at him.

His heart gave a little jolt to have her looking at him again. She is beautiful, even like this. And now she has acknowledged him again. What blood means? Blood gives power, warmth, it shows them the victims emotions and memories... is that what she meant? But, why would she worry about that?

''And, as such, it's inappropriate. Sharing blood between two people who barely know each other, do you know the level of intimacy it creates? You barely know me a day or two, are you sure that you want to do that? It's something so close that the boundaries between us blur, they're almost nonexistent. I don't want you to do something you'll regret later.''

She is refusing him for his own good, at least she thinks it's for his own good. Does she even know how much weight her words just lifted off his chest. To think that she dismissed her own health and comfort for him, so that he wouldn't compromise himself with his decision. How attentative can a person be? And can't she see how much he wants her to take whatever she wished from him. He would never regret giving his blood to her, even if it sates her thirst by a tiny fraction he would be happy.

The hand that was gripping her wrists droped them and started to caress her cheek. His other one lifted from her shoulder to her lips. ''I don't care. Take as much as you want from me.'' He told as his finger sneaked between her lips to rub the pointed tip of her fang. ''I'll gladly give you all.''

She stared at him long and hard, thinking, mulling over what to do. Finally, all her resistance melted and she caved. She will never deny him as much as he would never deny her.

Slowly her hand sneaked up and passed his neck, trailing a burning path on his skin as it went by. It stopped at the back of his head and her fingers entwined in his hair, pulling him aside to further expose his enticing throat. Her hungry gaze settled there, devouring him with a look. Her other hand fisted a handful of his shirt and tore open the first few buttons. More of his ivory shin glistened under the dim, scarce light, her eyes shone a fierce red.

He found himself captivated by her gaze. He had never imagined to see her so intense, almost vicious, it does things to him that he never felt before. He wanted to give himself whole, to offer her every possible part of him.

Yuuki pulled herself off the floor and climbed on his lap. His arms immediately encircled her, drawing her even closer. Her hand let go of his shirt and went to his back, grabbing onto him.

Shakily rubbing her forehead against his, she uttered ''Are you sure?''

His eyelids dropped halfway, mesmerised by their closeness. She had enchanted him. ''Yes.'' His unhesitant reply.

Lovingly nuzzling his cheek, she lowered her head to his neck. She needed no more encouragement.

The instant her hot breath ghosted over his flesh he shuddered, warmth filling him in anticipation of what was going to happen. Her tongue sneaked out of her lips and gently brushed a spot of his smooth skin. His hands clenched at her back, the wish for her bite unbearable. It was astounding how much he wanted her to take his blood, how much he burned for it.

Her lips grazed the pale column of his throat, once, twice. The third time she gave him a light kiss. His breathing shortened in expectance, heart picking up speed.

Then she bit him. The sensation of her fangs pricking through his skin brought both pain and pleasure with it. He gasped inaudibly. Pressing her tightly to himself he closed his eyes and let the sensations take over.

The exquisite feeling of having your blood drawn away from your body by someone you care for took hold of his body and mind. His heart felt at ease, he was the one providing life for his lover. Unabashedly, he revelled in the knowledge that his essence will fill her, that she will merge with him. Everything he felt, some of the feelings he wasn't even aware of, burst through some kind of dam, he felt himself overflowing with it. He knew she felt all of it too.

His hand left its perch on her back and wound in her hair, pushing her more firmly against his throat.

He even felt the lone pang of his own hunger hit him. In the farthest recesses of his mind he found himself wishing that this would never end. He lost track of everything around him, everything else didn't exist. It was only her and him, only her.

He felt at a loss when she stopped and raised her head. Her eyes still shone a faint red colour, they softened once their gazes locked. Both her hands left their previous spots and came up to cup his face. She gently smiled at him in appreciation and started to tenderly caress his cheeks.

His eyes dropped in silent delight, arms refusing to let go of her. A sigh passed his lips, just a little more, he wanted to stay like this just a little more.

Her fingers rode up and treaded through his hair, lightly tilting his face upwards. Their lips connected in an understanding kiss, neither wanted to let the other go.

* * *

oh, ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho

what a QUICK update, dont you think?... and it's the first scene of them drinking blood (njummm, njummm)... soooo, did ya like it? did i do a good job? are there some loose ends i forgot to tie up? ... drop me a review and tell me what you think, i'd appreciate it ^^

on another note, i dont think i'll update again till next year (pun... a very bad one, but still) so dont get your hopes up too high ... Consider this as a Christmas present XDXDXDXDXDXD...

love ya'll ... ~ lily ^o^


	16. Chapter 15

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

''You know, we should probably go to our rooms, or someplace else where someone is less than likely to find us in such a position.'' She gently nuzzled his shoulder, where her head lay nestled. Her eyes closed in pure bliss, and contentment ran heavily through her veins.

_If only we could stay like this forever._ But, at this particular time and place, eternity is not what they have, not yet.

Besides, it would be more than embarrassing...

''At least go somewhere where there is no danger of ugh, ...um, someone walking in and seeing us in, uh-, this position.'' She blushed more and more with every word that left her lips.

The chest under her cheek vibrated with quiet, melodic chuckles. She blushed some more, but calmed down at the same time, if it were possible.

''I'm serious! That girl is pretty nosey, and I'm positive that she'd gloat for a long time should she find us like this.'' Though, contrary to her words, her grip around him tightened.

He hummed thoughtfully as he buried his nose into her dark hair and inhaled deeply.

''Aya won't be a problem.''

Yuuki went ramrod straight in his lap, a spark lighting up her wine eyes. ''Maybe for you she won't. She's not going to let me live this down for as long as I am here.''

His arms stiffened slightly, alarmed. His almost identical wine eyes flashed for a split-second, it took her a moment to register what had upset him. And when she did, it hit home hard.

He reacted to her saying that she'll leave soon. It warmed her heart just as much as it broke it. He had grown that attached to her in such a short while, her heartbeat fluttered in her chest.

Oh, how she loved him. The feelings he awoke in her could only ever be described as incredible. Yuuki had the feeling that, no matter how much time passed, whether it was till the end of time or not, her love would never change, never falter.

She sighed and moved away from him, just far away to fully look in his face. Cupping both sides of his head, she let out ''We've spent the entire day like this, enjoying the comfort of each other's presence, but even we need rest.''

His eyes glittered in almost-pain and her thumbs came up to lightly caress his cheek in response, hoping to bring him comfort.

''Maybe we should go to our rooms and sleep this last hour or two before twilight.''

His eyes closed and she felt a pang eating away at her heart. Without even hesitating a moment, she pulled him closer to herself and wound her arms around his neck. Her cheek came to rest on the top of his forehead.

She hummed soothingly and rubbed her cheek against his silky hair. ''I don't want to leave you either, it makes me uncomfortable to be away from you. But I'm tired, and what little light is escaping the curtains into the room is irritating my eyes.''

He chose to ignore the fact that he could feel that there is something more to it, something she isn't saying.

''Besides-'' she released him just enough for her to scamper down a bit, so that they were nose to nose. She looked deep into his eyes, her wine depths reaching the depth of his own. ''-there are things you must do, things only you can do, something I cannot help you with.'' She smiled faintly and closed her eyes, simply resting against him.

He relished their closeness, truly enjoying the feel of another being next to him. Why must all good things come to an end?

His arms tightened around her, making the distance between them nonexistent. He buried his nose deep into her hair and inhaled, absolutely delighting in the way she smelled. Kaname could stay like this for eternity, simply taking in her beautiful, unique scent.

_Oniisama._ A whisper in his mind, so faint he thought he had imagined it. Maybe he did. Oniisama, he'd heard that before, just recently. But where, and from whom?

The reverence in that sound, not even consistent enough to be called a voice, made his heart clench. Always, always had his spirit yearned for someone to address him with such an emotion. Not even _she_ gave him something like that. And he hoped, hoped hard, that maybe now, when he'd finally let himself go, Yuuki will be the one to give it to him.

She hummed quietly and kissed the underside of his jaw. ''I'm going to-'' a yawn ''-go and rest for a few hours.'' She smiled at him warmly, and his heart beat a little bit lighter. ''You should probably go too.''

Her next kiss lingered on his cheek longer than the previous one did. Within the next second she was out of his arms and halfway to the door, he barely even registered her move.

Then she was gone.

...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...

Kaname chuckled as he walked down the hallway, finding mirth in the little squeak that reached his ears from the distance. Looks like she found her little present. He suddenly felt deprived for not being able to see the look on her lovely face.

He would have only loved to be able to stay with her forever, to never leave her side. Next to Yuuki, forever doesn't sound as nightmarish as before. On the contrary, he found himself craving it.

Like he found himself craving her.

He stopped in his tracks, amazed at the sheer intensity of his hunger. This yearning is tantamount to the all encompassing need he had in the deepest throws on starvation, when he'd denied his body sustenance for countless periods of time.

Had he been any less lost in her, he would have found it frightening.

Now, he could only think about her fair, delicate neck, and the treasure flowing within it. He imagined what kind of pleasure it would be to part her soft skin with his fangs and devour the precious liquid that is her lifeblood.

His yearning intensified until he stood panting, a hand around his neck, the other supporting him against the wall.

If the strength of his will had been any less, if he hadn't been so accustomed to hunger that controlling it's venomous strings was such an easy feat for him, he would have turned on the spot and made his wishes the reality.

But he had enough self-control. He would not subjugate her to that violent nature, she might break in his hold if he's too forceful. A flower as delicate as her should not be defiled in that manner.

He will control his instincts, as well as the violence of his true nature, for her. His hunger will not get the best of him, even were he to collapse again.

He will protect her.

Maybe then, she wouldn't leave when she feels the time for such has come. After all that has past in this short while, he didn't think he could bear the loss were she to part from him.

He wouldn't mind it if she hated him, despised him as long as she remained by his side, as long as he would have her in his life, and her presence caressed his senses.

But, if she was adamant in her wish to go, he hoped that she would take him with her or take this life with her own hands. It belonged to her anyhow.

He let his hands fall to his side, eyes staring blankly at the heavy curtain across him.

Yes... He belonged to her whatever she does. Her and no one else.

''Kaname-san?''

Interrupted in his thoughts, he saw that the sky was considerably darker than the last time he noticed. Had he been so preoccupied in his musings?

His eyes slanted to the right, where he heard the voice come from. Aya was standing there with a part concerned, part sheepish and part smug expression on her face. Still, even with the amount of confidence and trust she felt towards him, more than most, she stood some distance away from him.

''Yes, Aya.''

Her expression turned to serious as he spoke.

''One of the scouts has returned from patrols. Early. '' she paused ''It's serious, he's in the infirmary.''

He pushed off the wall he was leaning against and strode down the hall, past the hunter. She followed a few paces after him, having to quicken her strides to keep up with his long gait.

His head swarming with thoughts, Kaname reluctantly pushed Yuuki to the back of his mind, unable to rid his thoughts of her completely.

Are they moving, now of all times, in broad daylight? Something happened, something significant.

Soon they were in the infirmary, heading to the clustered clump of humans in the far corner of the room. Some stiffened as soon as they felt him approach, going out of his way and freeing a path to the injured scout.

Immediately after he'd set foot in the place he detected the plentiful scent of blood, the man was severely injured. There were a few people that stayed close, watching him. They didn't trust him around the bloody wounded, despite the numerous evidence from the past that stated his complete indifference to their lifeblood.

He stopped by the bed and assessed the man laying still on it. He had multiple gashes on his arms and legs, claw marks. His lower torso sported four deep cuts and his left shoulder looked riddled with tiny circular punctures, the evidence of fangs ripping into his skin. Though, his blood didn't smell of vampire other than _her_ scent, so he wasn't bitten by a pureblood. This was done by the servants.

''What happened?''

Every eye turned to him, and then to the bloody man. The strong, freely given pure blood coursed through his veins, strengthening him and giving him the solid support and resilience normal human beings lack. Thus, he was easily able to remain conscious even while suffering pain and blood loss.

''I got attacked. There were so many. And it was sunny. I didn't think, I never thought-'' he took a deep shuddering breath and tried to calm down.

''It was still mid afternoon and the sun was still bright. Almost too bright for even my eyes. Because of that I thought that the vampires wouldn't dare come out so early, we never fought during the day.'' He moved his arm and winced in pain, continuing after a second. ''So I broke off on my own, sure they would be at a huge disadvantage should they decide to fight and easy to kill. I moved into a deserted village, I was too deep inside it and alone. The next moment I was surrounded.''

A visible tremor ran through his body. ''They were like rabid dogs, nothing more than animals. They bit and swiped at me, there were too many to fend off even if they were weaker than at night. I killed more than I can count, but there were still many more behind them. I don't know how I managed to get away alive. The next thing I remember is limping back here through the desert.''

There was silence after he stopped talking, everyone taking in his words. Soon after people started talking amongst themselves, asking questions to the man. Kaname was deep in his thoughts.

''That deserted village, where is it?'' he asked quietly.

The room quieted down again. The scout thought a bit. ''Not too far off from here, some ways to the north.''

''So they're closer than usual.'' Aya stated.

''Yes''

''They are coming here, to us.'' Kaname let out and turned around, heading to the door. Aya followed after him.

''Is something wrong?''

''Get the others ready.''

''What is it?''

''I feel something outside... and the scent of former humans.''

She was gone the second he finished.

He determined his direction and sped up a bit, his heart beating slow and hard against his chest.

He followed the dark scent coming from the outside, and the faint whiff of... sunshine.

...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...

She turned again, annoyed and frustrated. No matter how much she wanted to, she just couldn't fall asleep. It was irritating, especially since she didn't have that much time to rest.

Though, it wasn't like it was a big problem. After all, she had spent countless hours awake as the school guardian, patrolling the grounds while others were asleep. Well, the others that weren't vampires. She could handle a few sleepless hours.

But this place doesn't have a school to crash in during class. If there was ever one thing she missed lessons for, it was their undeniable ability to make her sleepy.

She sighed, good luck with that now.

Turning around again, Yuuki buried her head irritably under her pillow, mentally swearing revenge on the land of dreams for denying her access. Her eyes landed on the table on the far side of the room and all the irritation drained right out of her.

Her wine eyes softened at the blood red rose laying innocently on the polished wood. Despite the wonderfully sweet aroma the flower gives out, she could still pick up the faint traces of Kaname's scent.

He was the one who left it for her, placing it on the floor just inside her room.

She felt her heart swell with emotion, so much emotion it almost hurt. He wasn't the only one who became attached. Yuuki almost wished that she could stay here, with him. His countenance changed while she was here, from the dark depths of despair to... something incredible. Something purely felt for her.

But she knew that she will have to leave him, that she'll have to go back... to him.

Her chest hurt at the thought of leaving him now, now that she finally gave him hope and something to live for again. And she would stay, she would find a way to remain, if she didn't know how much he needed her back home.

She sighed. Life was difficult, perhaps that's why it sometimes hurt so much.

She took a deep breath to calm down and started. There was the smell of blood in the air, a lot of it. What was happening?

She sat up in bed and listened carefully, there were a few people running on the bottom floor giving others the news. There was something about a scout... wounded... day... vampires... She couldn't pick up more, it seemed that Kaname was on his way to see what happened to the man. She was just getting up to rush to the infirmary when a chill ran down her spine.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to the window. There was something outside.

Without a second thought she pushed the heavy curtains aside and jumped out. She startled a guard patrolling outside as she landed. He gave her a weird look and opened his mouth to speak. She pulled up her hand to stop him and straightened.

''I feel something. I'll go check it out.'' She looked at him. ''Stay here, it's already twilight.''

She was gone the next instant. The man blinked and shrugged.

She quickly ran across the ground, the sand still hot from the day. Looking all around her, she tried to spot anything amiss. There was nothing but desert as long as the eye can see. But she was still concerned and careful. The dark foreboding feeling grew with every step she took. She could almost feel it, violence and bloodlust, running heavy and strong in the air.

Her steps grew measured and slowed down, her body ready to move in any direction should the need for it arise. She relied on her senses, waiting for a single sign. Then the scent of blood hit her. And they came out.

Dozens upon dozens of vampires, level e's. She moved to the side quickly, dodging them, pushing them off. Her speed and strength far greater than theirs.

She incapacitated them without taking their lives, she couldn't find it in herself to kill someone who had no desire for their fate. And yet she knew that death would be the best, most merciful end for them. They would not have to kill anymore.

Though, she could also feel that, while the bloodlust came from them, the dark oppressive power didn't.

She jumped to the left, avoiding the claws of a blond vampire and kicked a tall, red-eyed female in the stomach, sending her flying back. She stepped back and did a round-house kick, mowing down most of the vampires around her.

A boy, barely up to her waist, grabbed her leg and she had to force herself to pick him up and throw him at another level e in front of her.

She jumped high in the air and landed some ways behind them all, needing a second to regroup her thoughts. Seeing the pure animalistic rage and insanity on the little boy's face shook her to the core. How can anyone give such a terrifying fate to a child?

A man grabbed her from the back and snarled, getting ready to bite down on her neck. She wrenched herself out of his grasp, turning them around so they were back to back, and elbowed him in the back of his neck, effectively knocking him out.

Out of the back of her eye she saw them approaching again, a lot more cautious than before, but with more people now. She briefly thought about pulling out Artemis to fight them off, it would be easier. She decided against it a second later, there was only one Artemis, and that one was with Kaname. She won't risk the chance of anyone seeing her wielding the weapon and asking uncomfortable questions later.

A woman jumped towards her and a gunshot was heard, the vampire disintegrated mid leap. She turned her head to the side to see the guard she left behind standing on a slope, rifle in hand and aimed at the vampires. Looks like he didn't listen to her.

She ran off to the side while he continued firing. The group of vampires split up, making more less obvious target. She was soon surrounded. Backhanding to the side an attacking vampire, she ducked and swiped her leg under theirs, effectively flooring them all.

She jumped over them and ran off, only to find two strong hands retraining her not a second after she took the first step. Yuuki tried to pull herself out of the hold, but the hands stayed firm. She calmed down a second later after realising that a pureblood was holding her. He was the source of the dark aura.

She glanced behind her and met blond hair and blue eyes. The man smirked at her.

''Well what do we have here?'' his voice was deep and sinister.

''Let me go.''

''I think not. You are quite different than anything I have seen until now, I find myself curious.''

''Well, I find myself not. Let me go!'' she stomped hard on his foot.

She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her, and then ''Why you-''

He was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot, and a biting mass of energy flying by his head. They both turned to see a white-clad man with a scythe in one hand, pointing a gun in the other at them.

_Onii-sama._

''Bastard.'' Her captor seethed.

She reacted quick and freed herself out of his loosened hold, driving her fist deep in the man's lower stomach so that he stumbled back and ran off.

During her struggle the rest of the early hunters came and started eliminating the vampires. She ran straight to Kaname, punching and kicking rabid vampires on her way.

He was killing enemies with Artemis. She chanced a look back over her shoulder, finding the pureblood gone, abandoning his servants. Like a coward.

The standoff didn't last long with the hunters there, Kaname wasn't even needed. They both stood to the side, while the rest finished thing off.

''Why did you run off on your own?''

She was startled out of her thoughts and looked quietly at him.

''I felt something and went to investigate.''

''Why didn't you come to me, call me to come with you?''

''You were busy, going to that scout. I didn't want to bother you.''

''My dear girl,'' he put his arms around her and laid his forehead on hers ''you could never bother me. Do you know what it felt like to smell your scent with the one of danger? I felt like my heart was being constricted. I have rarely felt like this before, and always it ended in tragedy. I thought I would lose you as well.''

''And then, there was the moment of seeing you in the arms of another man. It was like a blade was being run through my chest. Please, think of yourself and your own safety before you act, if you will not think of my feelings.''

She hugged him forcefully, almost viciously and buried her head in his chest. ''I'm sorry. Don't say anymore.''

''They are almost done, Aya and her friend can handle the rest, we should go back. Come.''

He took her hand and tugged her behind himself, heading back. A small smile played on his lips.

* * *

Sooo sorry for not updating for 6 MONTHS. Time kinda got away from me. I'm going to try SOOO hard to update all the more during summer. School ends in about 3-4 weeks, I'll probably be able to write after (if I don't travel to some godforsaken place with no internet - most likely, considering this is me I'm talking about)

I'm giving this to you all fresh, so I didn't have time to read it through to double check. If you find a mistake you can tell me, I probably didn't even realize I wrote it wrong.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, this was my first time writing a battle scene ;)

~Łily


	17. Chapter 16

_**Thee, buried in the past**_

The feel of her small, soft, dainty hand in his sent a rush of warmth down his spine. Her nearness brought a tiny, warm smile to his lips, one that he could not wipe off no matter how much he tried.

He purposefully slowed his gait so that she could keep up with him. There was no need to rush her now, she was safe anyways and they were going back to one of the safest places he could think for her.

Besides being by his side.

Kaname closed his eyes in relief, tilting his head to the sky so that he could catch the silver rays of the moon. His whole body felt light.

Yuuki gasped beside him, looking wide-eyed up at him. He looked so beautiful, lined with moonlight. She could barely get a dash of air to her lungs. The pale light reflecting off his equally pale skin gave him an ethereal look, the look of a god. His glowing face in complete contrast to his silky dark hair, lolling gently in the breeze.

He turned and looked at her, sending her heart on a rhythm faster than the beat of a hummingbird's wings. All the air she painstakingly did manage to get into her chest came out in a sudden whoosh.

Breathtaking...

He looked at Yuuki, curious to see what took her breath away. When his eyes landed on her, he felt something blossom in his chest and tighten its claws on his heart.

She was gazing at him with such undisguised awe and devotion that merely looking her in the eyes sent a jolt racing through his body and mind. The love shining in her wine depths made him want to drown in them. For eternity.

His hand tightened convulsively around hers. She gripped him tighter as well.

His eyes flew down to them for a split second, before returning to her face. If possible, her eyes had softened more than a moment ago. He took a deep breath as his heart lightly picked up its pace.

She smiled at him, somehow understanding everything he was thinking, feeling at that moment. He gave in to the impulse that came the second he saw the heart-stopping sight and pulled her to himself. Her slight frame melted beautifully against him and he very much wanted to never let her go. His arms wound around her and crushed her to himself.

''Yuuki, I fear that I have become too attached to you. Now, and even before, I will never be able to let go of you. You mean too much to me.''

She burrowed deeper into his chest, rubbing her cheek gently against him. He took another shuddering breath.

''_Kaname._'' She almost moaned against him. ''You mean so, so much to me too. It's like you've wrapped yourself around my heart and leaving you would rip it right out of my chest.''

_Though, I would be able to survive without it. I would have to, because __**you**__'re waiting for me still. The attachment I have to you now is great and strong, but the one I have to the you that is mine is much, much stronger. In promise, I'll find a way to make it as painless to you as possible._

Her fingers dug into his sides and her hold on him tightened to almost painful and crushing. he closed his eyes and buried his nose into her hair inhaling deeply, basking in her scent.

His throat tightened and burned in hunger, his eyes were red, so red that he could see the terrifying glow even while they are closed. He did not want Yuuki to see him like this.

He ground his teeth together, refusing to acknowledge his thirst for her blood in fear of actual sinking his fangs into her soft neck and taking the delicious liquid, refusing to drink from her lest he scare her away.

Every last tendril, every last burn, every last yearning, he fought them all away, for her sake.

Kaname reluctantly unwound his arms from around her and pulled her lightly away from his chest. But, just enough to clearly see her face and have her looking at him.

''Let's go back, you are tired and haven't slept that much.'' He took her hand in his again and began to walk away. She followed him silently. ''It would be smart to go to bed and rest a little, or, at least, take it easy.'' He glanced at her pointedly then.

She blushed and averted her eyes from him. ''I told you I felt something and I'm pretty curious by nature, not to mention somewhat hyperactive. You can't honestly expect anything but disaster to come from that combination.''

''Really? Then I should have someone babysit you at all times.'' He smirked at her.

She huffed and glared half-heartedly at him. He only smirked wider. Yuuki pouted and turned away from him. Kaname laughed and tugged her closer.

''What do you think?''

She whirled around instantly, fire ablaze in her gaze, a finger pointed directly at his face. ''I wouldn't be the first time you did something like that! Honestly, it's as if I can't take care of myself. I'm not a kid that needs looking after.'' That finger descended on his chest and poked, hard. ''Ya hear?''

He chuckled, took ahold of her hand and the offending finger and brought it to his lips. Kaname then proceeded to nibble lightly at it with his fangs. ''As you wish.''

She blushed and snatched her finger from his grasp.

_Endearing. _Kaname's eyes softened at her form walking just slightly in front of him. But, what did she mean by saying this wouldn't be the first time _he_ did that. He never had someone follow her, they don't know each other for long enough for him to have done something like that in the past, and he didn't have a need to do it in the last few days, especially since he could always feel her.

For a second his gaze was speculative and slightly suspicious on her, but it faded quickly, leaving behind only affection and endless trust.

_She must have said it wrong._

...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...**...

They were just passing through the front door when Kaname remembered how Yuuki fought against all those vampires. Truthfully, she never gave him the impression of someone who knew how to fight. There was a precision and ease in her movements that gave away her familiarity with fighting, no untrained person would have such precision and swiftness in their movements.

His eyes cut to her and noted the ease and confidence of her gait, and the sureness of every motion she makes. It is only now that he truly began to realise how much he underestimated her, how much everyone else underestimated her. Her seemingly carefree attitude and sunny disposition painted a picture of blissful innocence and ignorance, of someone who is weak and sheltered, naive.

It took one look at her against that army to know how wrong he'd been. She is innocent, but not naive or blind. Yuuki knows the world around her, and its harshness. She can, and has, easily dealt with it before.

He couldn't help but wonder then, if maybe that wasn't the only thing he'd been wrong about with her.

She turned to him then, smiled and asked ''Something on your mind?''

He blinked and hesitated for a second. ''I saw you fighting those creatures and was wondering just how you learnt to fight like that.''

Her mouth formed a small 'oh' and her eyes hardened minutely, but not at him. ''I had to learn, I wouldn't have lasted long there if I hadn't.'' _Especially since I had appetizing blood as a human, and an academy full of vampires to top it all._ ''The world is not a safe place, and I won't pretend otherwise.''

Kaname sighed. _She answers questions, but doesn't give any information besides that. _It made him wonder if she didn't have something to hide. Yuuki is friendly and outgoing, but he still didn't know almost anything about her.

''Don't you have someone to protect you?''

She turned back to him then and her eyes seemed deeper and warmer than ever before. ''Of course I do, but I should know how to protect myself, so that I can eventually protect others. The ones closest to me.'' She turned forward again. ''The one most important person.''

He swallowed hard, having the overwhelming urge to clench his hand over his heart to make the sensations stop.

''You should go to your room now, to have some rest would do you good.''

She turned and eyed him sceptically. ''And what about you?''

He smiled slightly at her as his hand came up and took a lock of her hair. ''I'll go rest as well.''

Her eyes narrowed a slightest notch at him, but he continued to enjoy the silkiness of her tresses. There was something off with him, and damn if she wouldn't find out sooner or later.

''Okay.'' She voiced reluctantly and gave him a small, hesitant smile. ''Rest well.'' Then she stepped back and turned, walking away.

He watched her go, and then turned around himself.

Kaname sighed and absentmindedly followed the patterns on the wall as he walked by. Up, down, zig-zag, up, down, zig-zag, drop, up... how incredibly mundane.

He inhaled deeply and sighed, almost hoping to rid himself of all the heaviness he suddenly felt. He didn't want to send her off like that, he yearned to be with her, to have her close, to touch her, to embrace her, to kiss her. He yearned for it so much that Kaname feared he would never be able to separate himself from her, not even for an instant. Not that that thought brought any anxiety and ill feelings to him, he was almost... happy by it.

Still, he didn't mean to hurt her or shun her by sending her to her room. He could easily see the small veil of hurt that came to her eyes when he told her to go, along with something else churning deep inside her orbs. Suspicion? Maybe.

But he was... hurt, when she said that there is someone out there to protect her, and said it with so much warmth and affection that he felt his heart clench. He wanted her to be like that when referring to him, when thinking of him.

He almost panicked when he heard her, almost gave up. But in a split-second he remembered the way she looked at him, the way she spoke to him, the light in her eyes when she took from him. That saved him. Because, he too has a place in her generous heart.

So he sent her to rest, so that he could settle himself.

But Kaname realized that he really knew nothing of her. Not that it mattered, his view of Yuuki would barely change, whatever he happened to find out about her. Though, he had a great desire to find and know everything about her, to understand her completely and fully. He wanted to know how she thinks, the way she understands, how she feels, the way she sees people around her, everything. He wanted to know everything about her.

For that's what she deserves, nothing less that someone who would know her every whim, her every craving, her every whish, and give it to her on a silver platter. She has to have someone who would know her, really know and understand her, he would permit nothing less than that.

If he managed to be that someone for her, if he managed to truly make her happy, then maybe, just maybe, someday he would be worthy enough to taste her blood, to be her equal.

He yearned to be worthy enough to be her equal.

Just as much as he craved her blood.

A vicious burning started in his throat and spread through his veins through his entire body.

He stopped walking and leaned against the wall, needing the support. This hunger was the strongest one to date. It felt as if every cell in his body suddenly awakened and lit on fire worse than the lava from the hottest volcano. His throat was the worst of all and he had to actually cup it with both hands in vain hope of lessening the pain.

_Yuuki._

Every part of himself screamed for her, his very essence needed her. He had to clench his muscles to stop from pushing off the wall and going after her. Even now, even here, he could still distinctly smell her fragrant scent and follow it directly to her.

He exhaled loudly and clenched his teeth together, pulling every ounce of control he possessed and willing himself to turn around and head in the direction of his room. It took him a few moments before he finally moved.

With every step he took in the opposite direction from her, his hunger got worse and worse. It scorched and engulfed, ripping the shroud of humanity he had painstakingly built around himself piece by piece. With every piece that chipped away and fell, the same monster within him got stronger and bolder. It seduced his weary mind and promised delight he had never seen.

And Kaname was so close to succumbing, so very close to turning around and breaking every promise he had silently made to himself since Yuuki arrived. Every restraint he had managed to build up was in danger of shattering.

His hunger weakened him, pushed him, tried to lead him astray. But, in the last second, the very last instant, as he was about to fall into the unforgiving abyss of inhumanity and truly become a beast, the image of her clear eyes appeared before his mind's eye. In the end she was the one to give him the strength to fight the monster within himself, the monster that undoubtedly_ is_ he himself.

He stopped in front of his door, resting his forehead against the smooth, polished wood. His bright, glowing red eyes were closed and his breathing ragged, his throat was tighter and more painful than ever. But he succeeded. He did not go and bother Yuuki with something as mundane as his hunger. She doesn't need to be bothered with his afflictions.

Kaname barely even registered gripping the doorknob and opening the door, a small part of his mind noticed that he'd swung it hard enough to slam loudly into the wall and to violently reflect it close. He_ almost_ stumbled into the room, his steps were heavy and slow, lethargic. He barely made it to the bed and sat uneasily on the covers.

His breath came in harsher, more laboured gusts and his whole frame was rigid and tense. He buried his head in his hands and fisted his fingers in his hair.

Will this hunger never pass? The inferno in his orifice raged on and still steadily grew in intensity, even now. His insides burned, turned molten from need. In front of his closed eyes the image of Yuuki danced. Her beautiful eyes were suddenly replaced with her soft, creamy neck. He could clearly see the myriad of tiny blood vessels running through her throat, as well as the steady rhythm of her pulse as blood flowed through her jugular.

He could imagine himself nearing her beautiful throat and slowly running his tongue up and down her skin, looking for the perfect spot to break the thin membrane dividing him from her warm blood. He would pull her silky hair aside and tilt her head to have better access and to make it less painful for her. Her small frame would be pressed against him and he'd have the delight of feeling her so close again. Her breaths would run along his cheek and flow by his ear, rustling his hair.

His hunger flamed more as it all played in his mind and he made a noise at the back of his throat. What was he thinking? That was unreachable for him. He tightened the fingers in his hair, threatening to pull it out.

''Why are you torturing yourself?''

His whole body tensed and Kaname straightened himself. He looked up and locked eyes with Yuuki.

She was leaning against the desk, her posture relaxed and calm. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she was favouring her left leg a little. Her hair spilled over her shoulders wildly and ended just by her waist. Her breathing was slow and quiet compared to his, even her voice vas even and low. But her eyes were a raging storm. He could not even begin to recognize the mass of emotions swirling in her wine depths. Her gaze was intense on him, as well as... disappointed.

His shoulders tensed even more as his breaths grew hard and ragged. The hunger, that monster inside him, was delighted to have her so close. Her scent was fresh and strong instead of stale and weak, and it sent his senses ablaze. It ignited the burn of his hunger to further heights. His eyes glazed over as he looked at her.

''Well?''

Her voice snapped him out of his trance and he managed to pull a little composure out of nothing. ''What?''

He could see her grinding her teeth together, that was not good for her fangs. Her fingers dug into the fabric of her sleeves. ''Why are you torturing yourself?''

''I am not.'' He looked at the door, breaking eye-contact.

''Don't lie to me.'' She ground out softly. ''I know you. I also know the signs of _extreme _hunger when I see them.''

''It's not that relevant.''

''Of course it is!'' her hand flew from her chest and slammed down on the edge of the desk. ''You are being hypocritical. Weren't you the one to tell me that hunger is normal, that I should come to you when I need. Did you forget what happened only a few hours ago?''

His eyes lifted to hers with such speed. ''No.''

''Then, why are you denying yourself what you selflessly gave to me?''

''I am not. It's not that serious. You should rest.''

''Not that serious!'' she almost snarled. Her fingers dug deep into the wood, creating profound, unnatural groves on the surface. She was keeping her anger amiably under control, none of her considerable power surfacing to show. If he were not as strong as he was, he wouldn't have noticed the smallest of shifts in her aura. ''You were _in pain_! I saw you stagger into the room, barely able to move straight and stand upright. And before that, I felt your turmoil and anguish, you were nearing your breaking point. I saw what the results of fully caving into hunger were, madness. Our uncle went _insane_ for even the smallest sliver of the blood he craved. I will not see something like that happening to you! You are stronger than that.''

She panted from her outburst, and he could not think of anything else but how beautiful she looked while angry. He needed to compose himself quickly.

''I will not burden you with weight that are not yours to carry.''

She lost it. Throwing her hand in the air she started walking towards him, her steps quick, but even and measured. ''This is not about burdens and weight, not is it about duty and roles. It's about your happiness, and mine. Can't you see that I would give you anything you asked for, can't you see that I _want _you to take my blood to relieve your suffering. I want _you _to be the one I give my essence to, I want you to take it with your own fangs and _let yourself go_.''

He was staring at her mesmerised. She stopped in front of him and pulled his head into her hands. Leaning down to his eyelevel, she looked deep into his eyes and spoke so that he would hear the truth of her words.

''To put restraints on everything about yourself is not healthy. I want you to be how you are with me, just as you want me to be who I am with you. It's a two-way connection, you can't expect me to give my all if you do not do the same.'' Her eyes softened and the hands holding his head grew tender and affectionate. ''Let go and fall, I will be there to catch you. Drink my blood, it is your right to do so if you want it.''

The expression on his face didn't change, but he was shell shocked. He sat there, staring at her, immersed in silence. Slowly, her words seeped into his mind, and his heart. Slowly, he felt every useless restraint snap like a dry twig under her foot. And they were useless, she told him so, and her word was law. It didn't matter that he finally understood what she told him, he would have accepted it even if her did not.

Slowly he relaxed. His eyelids dropped to half mast and his breathing evened out. He greedily took in her heavenly scent as his eyes feasted on the sight of her throat. He could smell her divine blood even under her skin, it ignited his hunger even more. He felt as if his own throat might melt closed. But, he didn't fight it this time. No, now he knew he would find solace.

His arms came around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She gave him a small smile of approval and her eyes touched to very core of his soul. He felt a small shiver race up his spine.

''How did you come in? I haven't heard you enter, or felt you close.'' He asked as he nuzzled the side of her neck. He inhaled deeply and was rewarded with what could be only be described as heaven. His eyes bled red and his hold on her tightened. She melted into him.

He could feel her muscles work into a smile by his ear. ''I came in before you. And you were too distracted by your hunger to notice my presence coming in your room.''

He hummed and pulled her into his lap, his tongue leaving his lips to deliver one languid lick. ''How didn't I notice you in here when I entered?''

She giggled and he found himself relishing the sound. It was like the ringing of a multitude of high pitched bells.

''I think it was for the same reason. Your head was in the gutter.''

He suddenly moved and altered their positions, throwing her on the bed beside him. Kaname positioned himself above her, resting on his elbows, his head buried in her neck. He licked her smooth ivory skin over and over, feeling her breath hitch with every stroke. Her arms wound themselves around his neck and pulled him tighter against her. He almost groaned, what he had wished for was so close, what he had thought out of his reach now within his grasp.

''Why did you come?''

''I knew you needed blood, and I was not about to let you go on denying yourself what you rightfully deserve.''

He felt his heart speed up at hearing her words, his tongue grazed one of his fangs. _So close._

''How did you know?''

''I saw it in your eyes as we walked and as you sent me away. Did you really think that I would deny you? How stupid.'' Her hands fisted in his shirt and hair.

He pulled up just enough to lock his eyes with hers. Her pale skin was almost glowing in the dark and her eyes were trained solely on him. He could hear her heart beating a quick, frantic rhythm. He was sure his own might join it soon. He could hear the rapid rush of her blood in her veins, and it was pulling him in. His glowing, bloody eyes focused on hers for a split second longer and then he lowered his head.

His lips closed over her pulse point in a tender kiss before his fangs sank in her throat.

She gasped.

Her warm, delicious blood flowed down his throat, effectively putting out the burning flames. He relished it, drowned in it. Let it paint in his mind and heart the portrait of her emotions and feelings. Let it plunge him into her memories.

They were vague, almost as if shrouded in a veil. He kept seeing a silver-haired boy and a blond man with glasses. The latter always in cheery smiles and a carefree attitude, the former always with a serious expression on. He felt her love for them, her worry, her trust. He saw a majestic building, somehow familiar to him, a hall, a gate. Ha also saw a dark-haired person in a white coat and piercing eyes, though he did not know how he knew such since he couldn't see his features. He knew not the lines of his face nor the colour of his eyes, but he knew that this person was someone precious to Yuuki. Her remembered emotions told him such.

Though, he didn't linger on those memories that much. The last couple of days here was what he kept on seeing the most, and it astounded him that she cared for him deeply even the first time she saw him standing with Artemis in the ruins. For he could freely feel her every emotion. Even what she was feeling this very instant.

Yuuki closed her eyes as she gave herself away to the feeling of her blood being drawn out of her. She poured everything she felt for him in her blood, and let it flow into Kaname. Her only hope was that he doesn't see the future. Though, would it be that bad if he does?

It seemed an eternity later when he pulled away from her and looked down into her eyes. His eyes shone down with such happiness that her breath stilled in her throat. She raised her hand and caressed his cheek. His eyes closed as he savoured her touch.

When they opened again he bent down and sealed her lips with hers.

Their kisses were small and sweet in the beginning, but steadily grew longer and more sensual. He showed her everything he felt as he worshipped her lips. She gave everything back as her mouth moulded to his. Her hand had long left his cheek and tangled itself in his hair, keeping him pinned to her. The other one sneaked itself behind his back and fisted a handful of his shirt.

Kaname's own arms were around her as well. One had positioned itself under her head, the other wedged between her back and the bed, both holding himself as close to her as possible.

Her tongue streaked over his lips and he almost moaned. He opened his lips and lost himself to her. She broke off from him a while latter and continued to slowly plant small pecks along his jaw line. His eyes closed in bliss.

''I love you, Yuuki.''

* * *

Well, people, here's the chapter I promised. And it actually came in the summer, like I promised, yaay for me. XD

Did you like it? I know I looooved writing it, especially the last part. Oh, and Yuuki is slipping a little, the little about him doing it before and the _our uncle _part.

Thank you all for reading tihs and continuing to do so. And a special Thank You to all of you who support me. I love ya'll

~lily

_P.S. If there are any errors you've noticed tell me where so I can correct them. This was done quick and I proof-read it quickly, so some things might have escaped me._


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